Samsung’s NX-mini is compact camera with swappable lens

MANILA, Philippines – Samsung expands its camera lineup with the unveiling of the NX mini SMART camera, one of the smallest and lightest interchangeable lens cameras in the market today. 

READ: Samsung NX-mini hands-on; the ‘selfie cam’ to beat

Announced on Wednesday, March 19 (Manila time) the NX mini weighs about 227g with a 9mm lens and is only 22.5mm thick – measured diagonally, its profile is about a quarter the size of a 5-inch smartphone but about three times thicker. 

The ultra-compact camera fits into Samsung’s line of interchangeable-lens compact system cameras which includes the NX-300 and the recently announced NX-30. 

Aside from its smaller frame, the 20.5 MP NX mini also comes with a smaller 1-inch sensor if compared to the the APS-C sensors found on most DSLRS and the rest of the NX line, but larger than the 1/1.7 sensor on the other ultra-compact interchangeable lens camera in the market today, the Pentax Q7. 

Designed with the selfie generation in mind, the NX-mini comes with a 3-inch touch screen that can flip up 180 degrees, and a feature called “wink shot” that allows users to trigger the shutter with the blink of an eye. 

The NX mini will require a different set of interchangeable lenses called NX-M lenses. Along with the mini, Samsung announced three NX-M lenses on Tuesday including a 9mm f/3.5, a 9-27mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS, and a 17mm f/1.8 OIS lens. The camera will also work with existing NX lenses with an optional mount adapter accessory. 

Like the rest of Samsung’s 2014 camera line up – the NX mini comes with Tag & Go which enables a range of WiFi and NFC functionality including quick and easy transfer of images to an Android smartphone or tablet (and via WiFi to iOS devices).  

The camera has a metal build with a retro leather finish. It will be available in 5 colors, white, pink, mint green brown and black when it begins shipping in the US this April. The NX Mini with a 9mm prime lens will retail for $449 while the model with the 9-27mm zoom lens and an external flash is priced at $549. 

SPECS:

• Image Sensor: 1-inch / 20.5MP BSI CMOS sensor
• Display: 3-inch flip up and touch LCD screen
• Viewfinder: None
• Flash: Built-in Flash
• ISO: Auto, 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800
• Video: MP4, Full HD at 30fps
• Video Output: HDMI 1.3a
• Connectivity: WiFi and NFC
• Storage: MicroSD
• Battery: 2330mAh
• Dimension: 110.4 x 61.9 x 22.5mm
• Weight: 158g

— Rappler.com