Samsung NX30 – Review – Share quality photos fast

Cameras are a tough thing to buy – there are a couple of big brands, then a stack of others in the market making great looking products which on a specifications comparison make the choice very difficult.  EFTM has spent a month with the flagship Samsung digital camera – the NX30 – and it’s fantastic.

What’s great about needing a camera is working out what it is you want then finding a product to suit.  I was travelling to Sweden with Husqvarna recently, and knew there would be some great photo opportunities – additionally, last week I took a break from all things work and websites and took the family to Queensland – again, you gotta have a good camera.

I knew I had some great smartphones around me, decent shots, great for sharing on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook – however the long-term value of those smartphone snaps is decreased because they are simply not as good as those taken with a “proper” camera.

So – enter the NX30 – Samsung said it was their flagship camera so I wanted to give it a go.

I don’t really care what size the sensor is, I don’t know or care what the megapixel count is – I wanted the quality you get from a more intense camera, I wanted depth of field these are the features you realise make the purchase of a quality camera pay dividends.

What I found was awesome.  Yep, interchangeable lenses.  That’s great. An excellent viewfinder – either up close to your eye or a large LCD screen which in the case of the NX30 bends and twists around so you can hold the camera in whatever position you want and get a great shot.

I started snapping away, got some great shots, rich colours, fast autofocus and overall, a great experience.

There are some great reviews in detail online about the quality of photos, and other features of the NX30, but let me tell you about the two simple things I loved – and will miss now this one’s back in the hands of Samsung.

Burst mode shooting – like that which you get on your smartphone is a simple twist of a dial away – now this is a common feature – I get that, but on a lightweight yet quality camera, it’s a really great function.  One minute I’m snapping a single photo of my son, the next I turn to the Jousting going on at the event I’m attending and can snap a group of shots in sequence – either to review the sequence, or to find the best shot of the bunch.  Loved it – and used it regularly.

The standout feature of this camera is connectivity.  The WiFi functionality when paired with a smartphone is outstanding.  Using NFC you can pair your phone and camera, or manually connect to the phone’s own WiFi network.  Once you do that, using the Samsung Smart Camera app you can shift the photos from your camera direct to your phone.

Why?  Easy – we love to share!

I was at an International Speedway Grand Prix event, and during every race break, I connected to my phone, grabbed a few photos and was able to tweet them or share on Instagram within minutes of the races happening.

On Holidays I was sharing on Facebook to family and friends but not some quick smartphone snap, some great quality photos from the NX30 – the difference is stark.

You’re looking at $1100 or so for this unit, and you should look for a deal giving you a couple of lenses, because then you get to really experience the value of a quality Digital Camera.

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