I guess you have noticed that Samsung played quite a small role at photokina. They didn’t bring any new camera or other bigger news. Form what we heard they are changing their product strategy and working on a completely new front. Photorumors now reports that the next NX series upgrade will be between January and April 2013 and at least two new NX models will use the Android OS:
- The Samsung NX1000 will be upgraded to an Android powered model using tilting screen like the MV900 and a new EVF.
- The Samsung NX210 will be replaced with the NX300. I have no info about Android OS on the NX300. The new model is expected to keep its design and add a new optional EVF and OVF that Samsung is currently working on.
- The Samsung NX-R model will also be released. It is expected to be in the same category as the Samsung NX20.
It’s about time for Samsung to talk less and do more on the camera front. Otherwise they will never become leader of the mirrorless market as announced many times during the past three years. I hope for them and for us that they can play a major role in the future. More choices we have better it is!
21 Responses
To be honest I have not noted that “you have noticed that Samsung played quite a small role at photokina”
What I did note was that the Samsung presence there was massive..
maybe you refer to the coverage here …yes, that plays a small role but I doubt it had anything to do with PK2012.
One question you got asked at other companies was: “do you want to try your own SD card ?” At Samsung stand you got asked “you do have a smartphone ? shall we transfer your images later ?”
All their Cams I tried had WiFi Setup and you could send the images to your own Mailaccount if you’d like it.
That to me was the main essence of my PK visit related to Samsung.
Samsung launched their NX upgrades and also the new EX2F several months ago. So from a mirrorless perspective I’d agree than not much happened at Photokina compared to Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and (sort of) Pentax and Leica .
Canon and Nikon didn’t do much either, but Eos M is still fairly new.
When is a roadmap not a roadmap ? When you change it every six months. 16-80 anyone ? Nah, they changed their mind on that one too. Stick to phones Samsung.
they build a little more than just phone ; )
Samsung includes Samsung Electronics, Samsung Heavy Industries, Samsung Engineering and Samsung C&T, Samsung Techwin, Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Everland, Cheil Worldwide
It’s a huge company, they sure have the needed capital but maybe not the best camera designers, they probably don’t pay a competative salary
Samsung does have potential, they just have to make it right.
No laggy menu, no short buffer, no slow AF, etc.
Oh, and they have to price it right as well, Samsung’s cameras are always 100~200$ more expensive than the cameras in the same category.
Samsung is doing ok in the lens front, what Sony has not been doing. But they have to make the camera right.
They have no chance actually: they cannot increase sensor size to 24×36 with their mount. Unfortunately for them, the sensor size race has just begun, instead of old MP race, and they seem to lose it.
Samsung could be the dark horse. But they need to “think different.”
Adding Android into the mix might be ok for point & shoot, but it’s not going to get them market share in the enthusiast market.
> The Samsung NX-R model will also be released. It is expected to be in the same category as the Samsung NX20.
LOL. And DPR hasn’t even reviewed the NX20. Last time I asked (few months ago), Samsung hasn’t bothered to send them a unit for review.
Samsung needs to stop ignoring high profile review sites. Their astro-turfing campaigns barely get any attention – even on the Samsung user forums. And even if they are not ignored, shallow hands-ons can get you only that far.
Otherwise, there were lots of complains about deficiencies of the NX cameras – which Samsung simply ignores (crappy OOC JPEGs problem is as old as the first NX). And I’m pretty sure I do not want to buy a camera from a manufacturer who completely ignores user/reviewer feedback.
Samsung have the problem of being a massive consumer electronics giant with little experience in photographics, that is fine for point and shoots, but not for people buying into a system. The problem goes something like this, I as a Samsung NX shooter have no faith that they will continue the line, if it isn’t working out they could drop it completely with little fanfare, they also could drop the mount at any time. This is not a good feeling and makes people not want to invest in a system that probably has a very short expiry. They are still dipping their toes and will go with what works for them as an electronics giant, if they don’t see something as working in the market they will drop it and move on. There is zero confidence that Samsung will continue to grow the line up or meet customer needs, they need to address this somehow if they want to have any kind of loyal following, they can’t just expect photographers to buy into a brand because they have more gadgets than another manufacturer.
Matt – I feel the same, I don`t believe that NX line will be continued. I bought NX100 and 30 mm lens, but now im starting to regret that:/ I wanted to buy lenses and than a next superb body. Now – I don`t know what to do:)
Pffffffff……sigh……they just do not get it, they gadget it. I wrote this almost three years ago when the first NX came out: they need to get beyond their P&S gadgetry thinking and come up with something substantial if they want to become the marketleader…NX10 was Pany G1 copy, did not perform any better even though it was well over a year older.It did a lot worse. Sony came inshortly after and did a lot of things much better. m43s is keeping its promise: lots of bodies, regular upgrades, cams become better and better each iteration. And there is a big choice in lenses.
So Android…them not succeeding has nothing to do with android and it will not make them succesfull either unless they add a whole lot more than this.
I agree completely that it woul dbe better if they succeeded. More competition and it would be very nice if they cam out with a stellar sensor to give Sony competition there aswell. Currently, the NX system seems to be doing very poorly. And that is sad.
If samsung does this right by completely opening up app development for the camera, they will eventually take over the milc market. (until or unless other manufacturers follow suit).
Nobody needs a Samsung System Kamera. They have nothing than the ugly and bad Android others dont have.