Samsung NX10

The NX10 is Samsung's first compact interchangeable lens camera, rivaling the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 (Discontinued) and the Olympus Pen E-PL1 (Discontinued). Like its competitors, the NX10 aims "to bridge the gap between a small compact and a large DSLR," says Mark Goldstein at PhotographyBlog.com, but sets itself apart with a full-sized DSLR sensor, a 3-inch AMOLED display and a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF). The 14.6-megapixel sensor has about 50 percent more surface area, say editors at DPReview.com, which lets it absorb more light and "offer superior low-light capabilities," say editors at Steves-Digicams.com. Likewise, the AMOLED display has much higher contrast and a response rate that's 3,000 times faster than a standard LCD, and it's of "far higher quality" than the E-PL1, says PJ Jacobowitz at PCMag.com. The NX10 matches the GF1 and E-PL1 with its two lenses (18mm to 55mm), a pop-up flash, full automatic and manual settings, HD video (720p), and AVCHD Lite and RAW image file support.

While Goldstein says "NX10 is a very impressive first attempt," reviewers agree that flaws chip away at value. The NX10 has few proprietary lenses (currently three), whereas the Panasonic and Olympus cameras can share lenses. Several experts also say the NX10's lenses produce soft images, and the hefty 18-to-55 mm unit bloats the NX10 beyond a compact size. Nevertheless, reviewers praise the comfortable handling, intuitive user-interface and zippy performance. Shutter lag is "practically non-existent," and the NX10 matches the GF1 for autofocus, whereas the E-PL1 takes nearly twice as long, says Jacobowitz. The NX10 also earns solid grades for image quality, but despite the larger sensor, several experts say photos suffer from image noise and a lack of sharpness. The drawbacks are enough "to keep it from being a no-brainer choice" in its class, says CNET's Lori Grunin, and Jacobowitz gives the nod to the more versatile Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. Most critics name the Olympus Pen E-PL1 (Discontinued) as their top pick in this category.

PCMag.com, PhotographyBlog.com and CNET provide thorough reviews of the Samsung NX10. The write-ups include test charts that show how the NX10 stacks up next to cameras like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 and Olympus EPL-1. Not enough users have posted comments about the Samsung NX10 to establish a reliable consensus.