I find myself wondering about Samsungs future, because...................................................

Hi there,
              Well, as the title of this post suggests, I am wondering where Samsung intends to go with the imaging section of their production. In this I mean, Samsung are coming out with, what on paper at least, is going to be a World class camera, that promises at least, to be a Canikon beater. I am speaking here of the forthcoming Samsung NX1. But my thoughts are, "What is the point of having such a great camera in their line up, if, as is the case at present, there are no lenses longer than the NX50-200 f 4.0-5.6 ED OIS II, in the stable? Where are the 300m.m or preferably 400m.m lenses that we all want for birding or animal photography? I'm afraid, that Samsung will fail again. Not in the minds of the faithful band of Samsung users worldwide, but in the ability to attract new users, even with, what promises to be the best camera out there in its class, which, if it is all proved to be true, will be a class of ONE. Because, as i have already said, the NX1 looks to be a World Beater, on paper at least, so far. But "COME ON SAMSUNG," get your act together, please. We all need longer lenses, and not just the higher priced ones, like the new 50-150S, is set to be. Either that, or give us a good camera with IBIS, ( In Body Image Stabilistaion), so we can use other manufacturers lenses, via an adapter. This will not be as good as a dedicated Samsung NX lens, with OIS and iFCTN, but at least it will give us a chance. Or why don't Samsung, with their not inconsiderable resources, team up with Tamron, or Sigma, and get them to release lenses in the NX mount. We all want to see Samsung become a major player in the photography league, but to do that, they MUST have the backing of a stable of lenses which is, sadly, not there at present. From the NX300 up to the present NX30, Samsung have manufactured great cameras, but all these great image producing devices have all faced the same problem, a lack of lenses.


Right while we are on the subject of lenses, I am not on about the lack of them now though. No, it seems that at last, somebody agrees with me. I have been saying, since May 2013, (when I first got a Samsung NX camera, the NX300), that the NX 18-55m.m f3.5-5.6, is probably the BEST kit lens from ANY manufacturer out there at the present. Well, now somebody has actually tested three different Samsung kit lenses against each other. The lenses concerned are the 18-55m.m III OIS f3.5-5.6, the 20-50m.m f3.5-5.6 OIS, and the 16-50m.m PZ OIS. I'll give you a quick resume here, of the results. But the link to the tests are below for you to read yourselves. They came to the conclusion that the 20-50 is good at the 20m.m end. The 16-50 PZ is best at the 50m.m end, while the 18-55 has a good resolution across its entire range. :-)   This is what I've been telling you good people all along.

http://www.webrene.com/2014/07/samsung-nx-16-50mm-vs-18-55mm-vs-20-50mm-2/#more-2818

Right, I'm off the soap box now. I've put two images below to jpegs of exactly the same subject. One is a straight jpeg, the other is a jpeg developed from the RAW image. The camera captured both at the same time, because I had set the NX30 to the RAW+Superfine jpg setting. Both have exactly the same p.ping done to them in Adobe Light Room 5.6.

First up, above, is the one from the RAW image.

Below is the straight jpg image.

 Now, as anyone can see, there is a difference in the two images. Look at the view through the window. See how there is more definition in the view on the left hand side of the window. There is definitely a wider range in the DR when using RAW as opposed to jpg. But is this worth it, in the use of a lot bigger file in the RAW pic. Personally, i would not think so, unless the image that you are trying to capture, has a big DR range. But for everyday shots, no, I personally, would not choose RAW over a SOOC jpg. But, that of course, is my choice, and you are entitled to a different view.
             
Well. that's all for now guys. Don't forget the shooting opportunities that are coming your way Oct. 31, Halloween, and of course, just after, Nov. 5th Bonfire Night.

Take care, and have fun. Regards, Twm.

Now that all the hoo=ha of Photkina has died down.

Hi guys,
             Well it's over, (Photokina I mean, of course), and the new soon to be released Samsung NX1, has been shown to everyone. If the claims from Samsung turn out to be true, then the likes of Canikon, should be afraid. No, be VERY AFRAID! Because this Sammy cam, will be one that could push Samsung up the market leader board, and knock the main contenders on their collective backsides. After the announcement of the NX1 and its capabilities, it is interesting to note how Canon, (who for so long have ignored mirrorless cameras), have now announced that they are going to try launching into the mirrorless market. The thing is though, they will not have the new 28MP sensor, that is Samsung developed, and built. It is this sensor that is causing a LOT of interest, as well as what looks to be, an impressive build quality of the NX1 itself.

I for one, as a Samsung user will welcome seeing how this new offering from the Korean company will fare. I  have been a user of Samsung cameras since 2006, when I started with the Samsung GX10. This is a DSLR camera, and although being compact, (in DSLR terms that is), is huge, when it is put alongside any of the modern, mirrorless offerings form Samsung. The GX10 was formulated when Samsung teamed up with Pentax, a very well respected Japanese camera company. They made 3, (IFIRC), DSLR's together, before Samsung started manufacturing their own cameras, and they have never looked back since. No in my personal view, Samsung are now the leaders in this field of cameras. If in fact, as I said earlier, the NX1 turns out to be the camera that its spec sheet promises, it could very well take over the APSC sized senor, market. Forget the likes of Canon 7D's and Nikon D750/810. Because at around twice the cost, with the added bulk associated with a DSLR, and the big (costly), lenses, the added draw of the Nikons FF sensor, will not be worth it. At least not if the Samsung 28MP APSC sensor can produce the promises, that Samsung have made.

I was hoping to get out and about with my NX30 today, to get some early Autumnal colours, but the Welsh weather has cospired against us again. Yep, it's raining.  :-(   Oh well in afraid you'll have to make do with some from last weeks stroll. First up is a slow shutter shot of the river.

Next we have a weed of some sort, now in seed. Look at the fine detail it shows in the feathers of its dandelion type seed transport system, You sdould also note the pleasing Bokeh in this shot.

Well that's a;; for now, take care out there guys. My kindest regards to you all, Twm.

Well with Autumn now upon us...........

the chance of green is getting rarer. Whilst I like the colours that Autumn can bring, I'm reminded that it is a short splash of clour, before we return to cold dark days of winter. With this in mind, I am going to spread a bit of colour here. Samsung colour, that is, of course.

This flower, can be seen in abundance along the riverside, in varying shades from an almost white, through to a deep pink.

Below is another shot, this time a very pale pink.

Another one below, but this time a deeper shade of pink.

Yet again below I have another of yet a deeper shade of pink. The variety, and colours that are on show in nature, if one only takes the time to look at it, is truly wonderful.

There are also a lot of various berries on show at this time of year, especially blackberries, if any of you are into foraging for some free, fruit.
There were also a lot of berries around on our walk, and I liked the red berries, contrasted against the green leaves.

Below is another.

Below is an image that clearly demonstrates the effects of a shallow deoth of field. See how the flower is in focus, and everthing in the background is just a pleasing blur. This brings your eyes to the flower, which is the item of interest in the photo. This effect is easier to implement with a fast macro lens. The one I used here was the Samsung 100m.m f2.8 MACRO, which is perfect for these kind of shots.

Another ability of manual lenses of this type is to control the shutter speed. How? Well as we know a camera, has to have a certain amount of ight hitting the sensor at a given ISO in order to take the optimum photo. As a rough quide it used to be called the "SUNNY 16 rule." This stated that in bright sunlight, with the film speed, (ISO), at 100, the shutter would have to be at 100 too, and the aperture, (f stop), would be set at f16. This was the starting point for a good exposure. Nowadays, of course, with Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priorty, cameras, it is automatically set for you. But lets say you want to get that dreamy looking,  silky effect of running water, the trich is to slow the cameras shutter down to get the desired effect. To do this, you can set the camera to Apeture Priority and close the aperture down by using the largest number in the f stop range. This forces the camera to use a slower shutter speed in oreder to get the correct amount of light on the sensor. See, simples.   ;-)

Am example of a water shot is given below.

                             
                             Well that's all for now guys. Take care out there. Regards Twm.

More of our River walk.

Hello,
            Well with the internet being full of all the talk of the new Samsung NX1, I thought that I'd post some more images from our walk alongside the River Rhondda Fach. The walkway is along the site of the old railway line that used to carry the empty coal trucks up the valley, and the full ones down it. Of course, thanks to that Bl***Y woman Thatcher, we have no collieries left in the valleys now, so no use for a railway line, since that other one, Dr. Beeching. killed our passenger carrying service too. But nevertheless, life goes on, and, since the demise of the collieries, our river is once again running clean and pure. There are fish here too, as can be seen by the presence of herons, up and down the valley. But for this trip, flora only, we'll leave the fauna for another time.

From here on, for the next few pages, most, if not all images will have been captured using the excellent Samsung SK D-Xenon Macro lens. First up is an image of the sky........Or is it? Look at the little silver speck.

See, not a silver speck is it? No, it's a helicopter, and the NX30 has frozen its rotor blades, Have a look at the 100% crop below.

See how the NX30's sensor has captured the detail of the windows. Remember this is taken using only a 100m.m lens.

A little further on up the valley and we came to some flowers. I do not know the name of them, but they resemble Antirrhinum. This is a very pale pink one, but they vary a lot in the shade of pink. look down the flowers throat.

Also demonstrated in this image is the effect of a small f stop. The f stop is the size of the aperture on the lens. The higher the number. the smaller the hole, (aperture). The smaller the hole, the greater the depth of field. Put simple. this means that the more DOF that you have in any image, the more of the individual items within that image will be in focus. Look at the leaf to the right of the middle flower, it's blurred.

   Well that's all for now. Have fum looking at the fantastic new Samsung NX1 images and vids that are all over the internet. Until next time, take care of yourselves, and each other. Regards Twm.

I took the NX30 for a walk.

Hello,
            As I've told you in previous posts, I intend doing some Macro/close up work with the NX30. just to show what it can do with a prime lens fitted. Well this is my first post on this subject. All the images that are shown on this page have been taken using the excellent Samsung Schneider KREUZNACH D-XENON, f2.8 MACRO lens. Yes guys, I know, (before anybody tries to notify me of the fact), this lens is actually a Pentax lens. But the specifications remain exactly the same, this is an excellent performer, and it was
  re-badged for Samsung, when Samsung and Pentax teamed up together to make DSLR's. Now back to the walk. We walked for a couple of miles up the valley. taking pics of things that caught my eye. These images are not necessarily of any great significance or value. They are just shots that I grabbed to show things like the effects of DOF, or foliage when using jpg, (to illustrate the lack of smearing which is common in a lot of cameras), and Samsung colours.

              In the first image. I found a blow fly, sitting on a leaf. Now remember, I was using a manual lens here so I had to focus, set the aperture, and get the shot. I only managed the one pic as the fly would not sit for any more.  :-(

Below is a 100% crop of that fly.

Not to shabby, as they say. But I wish I could have had another two or three shots, but no luck, the fly flew.   ;-)

That's a;; for now gys, take care one and all. Regards Twm.

As I promised, so I shall try to deliver.

Hi there, Well after all the Hoo Haa, of the Samsung NX1, I am trying to get back on track with the Samsung NX30. I have been out and about these past few days, to try and show how good, or bad, the NX30 sensor is. Now when it is paired with the Samsung 18-50m.m kit lens, we all know that it is capable of brilliant results. This got me to thinking about how good the sensor would perform, when paired up with a lens that has excellent resolution properties. I am speaking in this instance of the Samsung Schneider-KREUZNACH D-XENON f2.8 100m.m MACRO lens. In the coming weeks, I

shall also be teaming the NX30 with the legendary Pentax FA f1.4 50m.m lens, but for the moment we are only concerned with the former lens. As a lot of you will know. here in the UK we have just passed the Full Moon stage of the lunar cycle. This particular full moon, was sort of special, not only because it was a Harvest Moon, but also because it happened to be a Super Moon, the last of this year. For those of you who do not know what a Super Moon is, it is the point of time in the orbit of our satellite, when it is at its closest to the Earth. It appears to us to be larger, and brighter, than its normal state. It also appears to be more orange, in colour. I took a few photos of this moon, with the 100m.m lens, and also with the 100m.m lens, and a TAKUMAR 2X T.C. added
First up is the image from the NX30 and the 100m.m lens on its own.

That is not a bad pic of the moon when clicked on and viewed full size. Remember, this is only a 100m.m macro lens, and not one of the huge telephoto lenses that are normally used for moon photos.
Below, is a 100% crop of the above image. All these moon pics are handheld, straight out of camera images.

Now one can see more detail in the image. I think the sensor/lens pairing did well, don't you

Well after I took a few of these, (there is no need to publish any more than one, with its accompnying 100% crop for these demonstration photos), I decided to add a 2X  TAKUMAR Tele Converter into the mix as well. As, adding any sort of EXTRA glass to the MACRO lens will tend to degrade the image slightly, these shots are just for fun, turning my 100m.m lens into a 200m.m lens. Below is the full image of this set up.

Well when you take into account the 2X T.C. added in order to get that image, I think the cameras sensor did an admirable job.

Above you an see the 100% crop. Now, as I told you above, adding any sort of extra glass to ANY lens, wil degrade the image to a certain degree. In saying that with just 1 minutes work in Paint Shop Pro doing a little post processing, and you come up with an acceptable image like below. As I said, this exercise was to test the abilities of the sensor/lens combination, so the addition of the TAKUMAR T.C. was purely for fun.

In the coming days/weeks I shall be testing this lens/camera cobo out more carefully. With true macro shots both with, and without the TAKUMAR T.C. Keep an eye out for it here. 

Until then, take care and have fun with your cameras. 

Regards to you all, Twm.

Wow things are happening quickly now................

Hi there, Things are really happening around the web now. Samsung stated that 15 / 09 / 2014, is the date to watch for the NX1's introduction. But a Kprean website has more information, that is copied and pasted below.


Korean photography website got more NX1 rumors.
http://www.popco.net/zboard/zboard.php?id=dica_news&no=10920
Upper part of the post listed currently rumored specification of NX1, and bottom part listed specs which popco.net got. I will translate bottom part of the rumor in English.
- 15 fps with tracking.
- Vertical grip available.
- Will announce revolutionary PD system.
- Slightly bigger body than NX30.
- Body design matches with 16-50 F2.0-F2.8 lens.
- Best high ISO performance and EVF among crop sensor bodies.
- Available on the market in October (TBD)
- Not retro design but similar with Mamiya?
*POPCO Comments : Samsung has been preparing hard and now Samsung is very confident to the flagship body. They mentioned the camera performance will be the best among the cameras in the market. (Well, it could be, if the comments are true about the performances). Also, they plan to emphasize color accuracy and portrait color, too which Samsung has been strong to. We eager to see how new 28MP sensor will work in terms of high ISO. It could be a monumental flagship if 15fps with tracking is really true.

If this lot is really true then Samsung are going to make a big splash with this camera.

All for now. Bye, Twm.

Well it's not long now.

Hiya, Still no photo's yet, but we are hoping to get out and about with a camera this week. The big news is, the internet is buzzing with news from Samsung about their eagerly awaited  camera, the NX1. There is now a teaser on Facebook, with instructions to mark your calendars for the 15th September. For more info. see the link below.


https://www.facebook.com/samsungnx?fref=photo


Well, it's not going to be long now. If this camera proves to be as good as is promised, this could be the one to really launch Samsung into the popularity charts. I hope it is, because, speaking personally, as I have used Samsung gear since the GX10 DSLR, 2006 or 2007, and lately, the last two or three years, they have really progressed in the imageing market, IMO that is, but of course YMMV, and you are entitled to that. But I love Samsung cameras, since the NX300, their image processing of jpgs. have been brilliant, and their sensors have been very good too. The Samsung NX range of cameras have been the first, from any manufacturer that I have been confident enough to be able to use, SOOC with no p.ping at all. They are great, as are their cameras. I am eagerly awaiting the rumoured NX400 too, as I love their Rangefinder styled range of cameras such as my favourite Samsung camera to date, the NX300. But I shall be getting out with an NX30, and some excellent Pentax glass later this week. I speak of course about my Pentax FA 50m.m f1.4, and the Schneider KREUZNACH D-XENON f2.8 100m.m MACRO lens. I shall also have in my pocket, my TAKUMAR-A 2x TC. So I shall be trying to show you, just how good the sensor in the NX range of cameras is, by using very good quality lenses,with adapters, on the cameras.
                                        All for now gang, take care all. Kind regards, Twm.

Hi there, no further images I'm afraid, (YET), but.....................................

Hi,
 As the title says, no further NX39 images for now as the weather has conspired against us here in Wales. So I'm presuming that you do not want to see any further photo's of little shells and such, never mind how detailed they are. For now, as a little taster for Photokina in Cologne, in a few days time, here is a little more of the rumour of the supposed forthcoming Samsung NX1 camera, This is supposed to be the companies first foray into the Pro market of cameras. I'm sure, we all wish them well with this venture. The info, so far is as follows:-

NX1 will be announced in Photokina 2014.

2nd generation of PD AF. It will be interesting to see how it will perform compared to A6000.

Totally new sensor and engine. Significant improved IQ.

Surprise!!! NO Retro style!

NX1 is not definitely designed for light user, but more for professional/advanced user. Yes, it is THE flagship of NX line up.

NX1 is expected to be a great AF performer.

Taking these points as they are listed. I'm sure the 2nd generation of PD AF, will be welcomed by all. Let's hope that it lives up to the expectations of all Samsung users.

Totally new sensor and engine. Oh my, I'm drooling here, Significantly improved IQ, Oh boy, I already love the Samsung IQ with their NX range of cameras, that they have now. The rumour, although not mentioned in this list is, that it will be a 28MP sensor, dribble, dribble, drool.  ;-)

No RETRO style. Well, being no fan of RETRO cameras by any manufacturer, I can only say I'm glad about this.

NX1 designed for Pro/ Advanced user. To be the Flagship of the NX range.
Oh boy, I can only hope, and pray, that I get my hands on one of these, to try out.

Expected to be a great AF performer. Well it would have to be if it is intended to be aimed at the PRO/ADVANCED level of photog, wouldn't it?

I really, really hope to get one of these to test, in the future. Also, it has not been leaked yet, but I hope that it has a fairly large, articulated rear screen, preferably of the AMOLED variety. Come on Samsung, you can do it, YAY!

      That's all the info that I have at the moment folks, but stay tuned, one can never tell when anything else will come to light.

                           Regards to you all. Take care, Twm.

The internet is buzzing with Samsung's possible announcements.

Hi there guys,
                        Well, as the title says the internet is buzzing. The cause of the interest? Well it's Samsungs forthcoming, (possible/probable?), announcement of a Professional level camera. This camera has been labeled,  (rightly or wrongly), the Samsung NX1. For a look at the rumour, click the link below.


http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/an-exciting-announcement-is-finally-coming-from-samsung

Please note, after the rumour, the author goes to, "tongue in cheek," mode, with the description of the camera. Personally, I would hope that it is smaller, than the Samsung Galaxy NX, but I guess it would have to be bigger than the NX30. For me, personally, I still love the first Samsung camera that I got from the NX range. This was, of course the Rangefinder style NX300. This INHO, is the ideal camera for me, I'm speaking, of course, of its size. The 300 has a great size rear screen, (shame about the fact that you can't see it in bright sunlight, with out adding an anti glare screen to it). If it could have been made, the same size, and fully articulated, it would have been perfect, for me at least.

But, I digress, back to the news. This camera, the NX1 will be, if true, Samsungs first foray towards the Pro market. The camera specs. at least, look very promising. Let's hope that more people will see Samsung for what they really are. That is a very efficient, capable, and trustworthy camera company. They are NOT just an appliance company, although they do that as well. In our household we have three Samsung mobile phones, one Samsung fifty inch 3D television, a Samung 3D Blu Ray player. But besides the point that these items were all manufactured by Samsung, they were all made by different divisions of the parent company. For instance, Sony make televisions, DVD players, AND cameras. Panasonic make things as diverse as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, telephones, and numerous other devices too. Yet nobody tries to belittle these companies for being appliance  minded companies. The support that Samsung gives to its camera owning people, is second to none, with constant updates of firmware for the cameras. So I hope that people WILL take a look at Samsung, for future camera purchases. By the way, I am not a Samsung employee, just an enthusiastic owner of their cameras.

                  All for now guys, take care. Regards Twm.

Hi there, here I am still relishing the experience of Samsung's NX30 camera, and................

Over the coming weeks, I shall not be using the 18-55m.m kit lens exclusively, although I will use it at times. No, I have decided to use some excellent PRIME lenses that I happen to own, namely the Pentax 50m.m DFA f1.4, and the Schneider-KREUZNACH   D-XENON f2.8 100m.m MACRO lens. In the case of the latter, you should know that this was a Samsung lens, manufactured by Pentax under licence from Schneider themselves. Both of these lenses have excellent resolution properties, and should test the Samsung sensor out. I have not, as yet decided where to go to conduct the tests, but as much as possible, we will be out and about with the NX30 and probably the NX 300 as back up with two leagacy lenses in the bag. Of course one has to keep in mind, that at this time of year,  in the UK, and more especially, here in Wales, the weather can play havoc with any ourdoor activity that is planned, but I assure you that I will do my best to get some tests done. In around six weeks we are going to Mid Wales, Aberystwyth, in fact so I hope to get a lot of images from that area. This is going to be an enjoyabel trip, as we haven't been there for a number of years now, but we used to go at least once a year.

I have been reliably informed the Chancellor of OUR Exchequer, ( my long suffering, "other half"), that we shall probably be going somewhere over next week end, as it is a Bank Holiday here in the U.K. So that should make for some sort of photography for the lenses that I've detailed above. But, in the meantime I've put another image below for you to look at. This time it is NOT a Jackdaw, but a lrger member of the same Genus a Crow. But my intent was the same, look at the detail in the birds feathers, and its eye. This was taken with the 18-55m.m kit lens, so hopefully, as imressivae as this image is, remember, it is ONLY a kit lens ;- ), things should only get better from here. I mean of course in using the higher quality prime lenses. Anyway here is the Crow.

This a great example of the quality that you get with the Samsung kit lens. This is why I keep saying that the Samsung 18-55m.m lens must be THE best kit lens available today, from ANY manufacturer.
Take a look athe the 100% crop below. Look at the birds eye detail,

Also, apart from just the eye, look at the feather detail. This is a SOOC jpg file. I have done nothing whatsoever to this image.
                                         Well that's all for now. Take care everyone.
                                           Regards to all, Twm.

The Samsung NX 30 does the business...very well.

Hi there, this little camera, the NX30 and its 18-55m.m kit lens never ceases to amaze me. I was standing on my front door last week, wondering what to take photo's of, (well, doesn't everyone do this?), and a couple of Jackdaws settled on the overhead power cable. Now in case you don't know, a Jackdaw is a small member of the Crow family of birds. It measures around twelve or thirteen inches, beak to tail. I pointed the camera skyward in Shutter Priority mode, and waited. As the two birds flew off I pressed the shutter release. Now these birds were around twenty five, to thirty five feet away from me. The photos below are straight out of camera jpgs.

Nothing remarkable in that photo, I hear you say...................BUT...................Take a closer look, look at the texture, in the wood of the telegraph pole, and better still. Look at the image FULL size, and take note of the eye of the bird on the right hand side of the pole.

IMHO, this image is one of the best, that I have taken to demonstrate the IQ of the sensor and kit lens pairing. I know, I have been raving over the lit lens since May 2013, when i first came into contact with one, on the Samsung NX300 camera. But it NEVER ceases to amaze me. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, here. The 18-50m.m lit lens is one of, if not THE finest kit lenses to be manufactured today, and that is including ALL the major camera makers out there, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, etc. etc.

But, as I said, the above images are SOOC, (Straight Out Of Camera jpgs.Take a look at the images below, and see what you get with just a little bit of p.p'ing, (Post Processing). The difference is not huge, but there is an improvement. I would be quite happy, though, to use the original SOOC images for any use whatsoever. This range of cameras, from Samsung, the NX range, is the first cameras that I have bee totally confident, and pleased with, to be able to use them in Jpg mode, and not have to capture the image in RAW format. Then to "develop," and process each individual image to get the best possible result, is nothing short of the proverbial PITA, lol. Imagine, going away on holiday and coming back with a pile of images that you then have to spend many hours, working on to get them to a quality that you are happy with. I took 450 odd images in Germany last year, using an NX300, that I spent only a short time, on some of them, not all, and everything was great. Samsung have come a long way in their short time tuning out these cameras. In my opinion, things can only get better, for Samsung, and their users. But take a look at the images below that have only had minor p.p'ing done to them. First one is the full image of the birds.

See, as I told you, there is nothing dramatic in the difference of the SOOC pics. and the P.P'd pic. Just to emphasize the point. Below is the 100% crop of the image.

Well, that's all for now guys. Take care, until we meey here again. My regards to you all, Twm.

More proof of the quality of the Samsung NX30 with the 18-55m.m kit lens.

Hi, there. Just in case you doubted it, and need more proof. Here are some more pics of my, "not so beautiful model."  The slug. As I have told you before. The quality of the final image, is dependant upon what the lens and sensor can capture. If the capture is of poor quality, then the resultant final image will not be that good either. But in the case of the Samsung NX30 and its 18-55m.m kit lens, I think the pairing is just about perfect, (for a kit lens that is). Of course, I could have got an even more detailed image by using my Schneider Krauznach 100m.m MACRO lens. But, in doing so, I would only have proven that the sensor itself is doing a good job, as the MACRO lens would have picked uo very fine details in the texture of the slugs skin etc. But, by doing this shoot with the kit lens, I have proven what a good combination the lens and sensor are, when taken together, as a whole. As I stated in my earlier post here, all the slug pics were pp'd with exactly the same settings in my photo editing programme, which is PSP X4.

Below is the first image that I would like to show you. This is the SOOC jpg. It is the slug with its mouth open. It looks like someone that I know, blowing kisses, (lol). Seeing this shot, you will notice that the pic looks a little soft. But the information is there, within the image, and hasn't been destroyed by poor, in camera image processing, or a poor lens. Just look at the hole in the side on this creature, it's a wonder that it can live at all with a hole that size in it.

If you click on theis image and get it to a larger size you will see the slugs mouth, it looks as if it is blowing kisses.  ;-)

Now, below is the pp'd version of the exact same image. Don't forget, I have used only two of the many, different editing tools available in PSP X4, (yes, I know this is an old vesion of PSP, and it is up to X6 now). But, as I have said before, "If the information is not held in the image, one cannot put it back." Well not without a heack of a lot of care, and work. Neither of which am I blessed with.

There, now one can see the difference. Look at the hole in its side, and the mouth itself.

I am pleased with these images, and glad that I had a phone call to get to mu daughters house with a camera quickly. I've never seen a slug eating bread before, either. But this one did, I'll show you, and explain more later. Bye for now.       Take care, and have a great day. Regards, Twm.

I've told you before, now, here is the proof.

Hi there,
              I know you heard me before preaching on here about how great the Samsung NX 30 is when paired up with the 18-55m.m kit lens. Here is proof. I took a series of pics the other day of a slug. Yes that's right, a common garden pest, the slug. Now the images are NOT processed form RAW, no they are SOOC jpgs, that I have taken into PSP X4 and only used two commands to post process them. The two commands used were Colour/Fade Correction, with a value of 25, and Fill Light/Clarity with values of 44 for F/L, and, 0 for Clarity. These processes remained constant for the complete set. Below is the first image, this is the straight out of camera jpg.

A nice image yes, but nothing special. But wait, look at the same image below, after using PSP X4 with only slight adjustments.

Now then, there is a heck of a difference in this image, isn't there? Now, my point herre is, if the information is not in the image in the first place, there is nothing much that can be done about it. But take a look at both images, and see the diffence in the skin texture of the second one. I will show you some more later in the week, but suffice to say, I am very pleased with the images that this pairing from Samsung produces. Take a look at another, of the same "model," below.

This image was captured using the NX 30's izoom feature, at x2. Izoom is only available when using Samsung NX lenses, as this is a button on the camera lans itself that is used to access this feature. It is basically a crop of the size that the image would have been, if one was not using the izoom. But I find it incredibly convenient to have this available at the time of shooting, rather than having to do it on the pc at home. Below, is the exact same image, p.p'd in PSP X4 using the same settings as detailed above.

Quite a difference isn't there? But as I said, "If the datils are not in the original, then an Image Editting program cannot put them there." As you can see in the shot above, the 18-55m.m kit lens has captured the details, and PSP X4 has brought them out.

All for now, thanks for looking. Take care and have a great day.

Best wishes, Twm.

The Samsung NX 30 with its 18-55m.m kit lens took me to................................

Hi there, I went down to the seaside last week, to Barry Island, in fact. While there, I found an eager assistant who helped me to tempt, (not that much "tempting," is needed lol), some seagulls to pose for me. This shot includes two gulls that eagerly took off to try to beat each other to the bread. Can you see the bread, the two birds walking on water can.

Look at the two gulls in flight, below. Both sets of eyes are locked on the target of the bread, as they vie with each other to get to it first.

But that is enough of the birds for now, although, I do have a lot more of images of the seagulls at The Knapp. Maybe I'll show you more later in the week.

Wow, this Samsung NX30 camera keeps on impressing me, as does the support from Samsung themselves. I complained, as soon as I got the camera, about the AF point being off centre, five weeks later it, and other points of contention are fixed with a Samsung formware update. My hat's off to you Samsung, both for this great little camera, and the speed at which you addressed some of its problems, AF is quicker, more accurate, wandering AF point fixed. I love this camera. I like the control buttons that are on the camera, and in a convenient place to operate them, like the drive switch. It is simple to change from a single shot. to a high speed multiple shot choice.

At the same time, I am also very pleased with the cameras ability to have such a close focus with what has to be THE best kit lenses made by ANY manufacturer out there. Don't forget I am coming to the NX range of cameras from the DSLR community. I have shot with cameras made by Olympus, Canon, Pentax, and Fuji, so I have used some great cameras. But, and I mean this with all sincerity. I would NOT change the NX range of cameras, to go back to any other maker. Take a look at the images below and see for yourselves. Some of these flowers were tiny, not even 5m.m in diameter.

The yellow flowers above are the tiny ones that I was referring to, but the purple ones below are a little larger than that. One also has to take into account, that a plain yellow, and purple are two colours that digital cameras have, traditionally had difficulty in focussing on. The NX30 does it with aplomb.

After seeing the image above, I think you'll have to agree that the camera and its 18-55m.m lit lens are a great team, and do a marvellous job together.

In the above image one can see flowers in various stages of deveopment, from buds to partially open, to seed heads, all in good order of sharpness. Yes, my friends, I love the Samsung NX30 and its 18-55m.m. kit lens. Personally though, I still prefer the size and shape, of the Samsung NX300, as I love the rangefinder style that Samsung has developed.

All for now guys, take care out there, and have a great time, until we meet here again.

Kindest regards, Twm.

Well whatever you say, I'm Impressed.

Hi,
   "With what,"  I hear you ask. "What is he taking about now?" Well, since the firmware update from Samsung, the NX 30 and its 18-55m.m kit lens has been exemplary, in its performance. We went to the Knapp at Barry at the beginning of the week to gat some "action," pics of birds in flight, (BIF). We weren't disappointed. I set the camera for 1/1250 shutter speed, with AUTO ISO. I chose MULTI metering, and MULTI AF, with an f stop of 4.0. I have to say, the NX 30 did very well indeed. I don't think that with a single AF point, I could have had as many birds in focus. The metering system also did extremely well, especially when one takes into account the brilliant white of the gulls feathers, and the very bright sunshine on them. All this with an f4.0 aperture. Yes, I must say, I for one, am a very pleased person. Now that Samsung have fixed the "wandering," AF point, I think this camera IS their best to date. Below is the image that I am talking about. Note the bread in the air that one of the birds is heading for. These gulls are like surface to air missiles when it comes to food, or air to ground missiles if you happen to be eating a sandwich on the beach, lol.

The bread is up, and so are some of the birds. with one, in particular, whose radar is locked onto the target.
For a better perspective, I have put a 100% crop below, where you can clearly see the bread crusts that the gull is after. Remember the camera settings that I used to achieve this shot, I think it would take a costly, DSLR with a far higher f stop to achieve this. This was not, a shot taken out of a machine gun camera setting, but a drive setting of a single shot. This image is a jpg from the camera, and NOT developed from RAW.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my pics, and having a read at how the Samsung NX 30 and its 18-55m.m kit lens is performing.
                                            Take care in all the heat that we are having at the moment, and be especially careful around water, during this heat wave. All for now. Regards, Twm.

On behalf of NX 30 users everywhere, Thank you, Samsung.

Hi there,
             As you will know, if you've been reading about my activities with the Samsung NX 30. I am impressed with the camera on the whole, but one little thing was spoiling my interaction with the device. Every time that I switched the camera on, the AF point would be off centre. Now, you may not have noticed this in your camera, but here is the way to spot it immediately. Go into the camera menu, and select the show grid option. Set this to 3 x 3, (meaning the screen / VF, shows the "rule of thirds," style grid). Now, when you switch the camera on, you can clearly see that the AF point is not in a central position. As I have stated before, this problem was not a, "deal breaker," more than just an irritation. To move the AF point to the central position one only had to press the OK button, which activates the AF point, movement option. Then press the right hand part of the ring around the OK button, then press the OK button again. The AF point is now central, but, be aware, if the camera is switched off, and later back on again, the AF point will need to be "re-centralised," ( if there is such a word, if not remember, you heard it here first).   ;-)    But I digress, since last Saturday, 12th July there has been a firm ware update available for the NX 30, which has, among other fixes, sorted out the problem of the, "wandering," AF point. On our camera, the AF point has remained in the central position since performing the update. Yay, now I can get on with enjoying this camera, and maybe seeing if there are any other little things that I dislike, although I must say, the image quality, ( IQ ), is NOT a problem with this camera. It is every bit as good as the NX 300, which was a lovely camera. There is a rumour doing the rounds, that Samsung will introduce a new camera early 2015 which will be called the NX 400. Now, as this is only a rumour at the moment, we cannot really say anything about it, except, looking at Samsung's camera numbering method it will be a direct replacement for the NX 300. The NX 300 was, of course a "RANGEFINDER," style camera, having no VF at all. If the 300, had been given the fully articulated screen of the NX 30, it would have been perfect for my use. But the sensor used in the NX 300, and now, ( with techno tweaks ), is now getting a little long in the tooth. So, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Samsung were to bring the NX 400 into existence, that it contains a new sensor. But this is just supposition on my part at the moment.
We are off back to thw Museum pf Welsh Life, ay St. Ffagan's today, as there are more thimgs that I want to test with the NX 30, which, to date, with the new FW update, is performing well.
                                                     Take care now, and have a great day.
                                                        Regards, Twm.

Well, I have been out and about, with the Samsung NX 30 camera, and its 18-55mm kit lens. I have to say.........

Hiya,
       I have been using the NX 30 for around four weeks now. Is it perfect, no, of course not. There is no such thing as THE perfect camera. Because, as the old adage says, "One mans meat, is another mans poison." We all want different things from our cameras, so there is no "one size fits all," in this market. I bemoan the fact that there is no "CENTRE POINT," selection in the AF point menu, so one cannot fix the AF to be at the centre. The nearest it has is, "SELECTION," AF point. but this means that the AF point can, and frequently is, inadvertently moved. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a deal breaker to anyone thinking of getting this camera. No, but it is a minor irritation, that can be fixed with a firmware update. Please Samsung give us back the "CENTRE" AF point choice, so that when I turn my camera on, I don't even have to think about it, the AF point is fixed at centre, unless "I" choose to place it somewhere else, through going into the Fn menu. Other than that, I think this camera is great, it builds on the Samsung NX range of cameras. Although I do think that Samsung have gone just about as far as they can with this sensor now, and I am hoping for a new sensor, in the rumoured NX 400, supposed to be coming out early 2015.Now this is just rumour at the moment, but does make sense, as the camera that the NX 400 will replace is the wonderful, IMO, NX 300. I love the 300. But that is another story.

I took the Samsung NX 30 and kit lens to St. Ffagan's near Cardiff this week. Now for those of you not in the know. St. Ffagan's is the Museum of Welsh Life. It is a large expanse of open ground where there are a pllethora of buildings from all parts of Wales, and from different eras. But it is, essentially, like stepping back in time to a village from the past. Every building there had its bricks/stones, numbered. Then the building was carefully dismantled and transported to St. Ffagans. Once there, the masonry is cleaned, and rebuilt to the exact dimensions and reference, that it originally was in. At the moment they are rebuilding a pub that once stood in Cardiff called, "The Vulcan." The museum, because of its continual building process is in a constant state of flux and is continually evolving. To any holidaymaker, sightseer, who happens to be in the Cardiff area, I heartily recommend paying a visit to this museum. The only caveat I would add here is to be careful of the notorious Welsh weather, as St. Ffagans is an open air museum. If it is raining, you will spend a lot of time dashing between the buildings to keep dry. Oh while I remember, if you do pay a visit, it is well worthwhile to be at the bakery for the daily crop of bread. They do not bake a huge amount of it due to the size of their stone oven, but if you do manage to grab a loaf, it will, if you are old enough, take you back to when bread really tasted of bread, and not this mass produced lumps of dough that is now sold under the label of bread, lol. I don't even eat white bread, as I prefer wholemeal, but I cannot resist a loaf from here when i visit. You will have to join the queue when you get there, so make sure you are early, to get a place at the front, as they don't bake a large quantity.

Right now that I've told you that, let's get back to my purpose of being here, the Samsung NX 30 and its 18-55mm kit lens. Well I know that regular readers of my thoughts here, will by now know that I rate the Samsung 18-55mm lens as one of, if not "THE," best kit lenses available today. I mean that this is, arguably, the best kit lens from ANY manufacturer. When paired with Samsungs excellent 20.3 MP sensor, the result is great images. The Samsung NX range of cameras is the first, that I have been comfortable with, to use as a purely jpg shooting camera. Now I have used cameras from Canon, Pentax, Fujifilm and Olympus, but in each case I have always had to capture the images in RAW format, and then "develop," them via Silkypix, or another software programme. Which makes for a lot of work, and time to do. When one considers the fact that I was in Germany last year for 4 days, and came home with 550 images, you can see the time I would have had to dedicate to post processing my images, if they were RAW. But I shot them all in jpg and most of them, needed no post p'ing work done at all. No I feel that for the small amount of image quality, that one would gain out of a RAW shot, as opposed to a carefully planned jpg shot, the average user will be better served by using an NX camera in "Super Fine," jpg quality. Below is a pic of the sign outside the museum entrance.

After taking a few shots outside the museum, which are intended for other web sites, I proceeded through the entrance, up the stairs, and out into the glorious sunshine, of the open air museum itself. Now, as I stated earlier, this is like taking a step back in time, and although the buildings are all from different eras, and stepping into an Olde Worlde village. There are shops, bakery, chapels and Workmens Institute. They have farm buildings, a pig sty that resembles a large bee hive. There are living animals such as cattle and sheep that have a great life there. There is a castle, (that is on my list to see, on my next visit). The thing is, that the old shops, like the ironmongers shop, actually contain the items that would have been sold there, when the shop was in business, like the old, "tin baths," and "tin buckets." Although not made of tin, they are actually galvanized steel. The "tin," bath is how they were refered to, in the vernacular of the day. There are clothes mangles, cobbler's lasts, and all the tools that you would have need for.

It was to this environment, in bright sunshine, a thing that would have caused some problems with the NX 300 without an anti glare screen fitted to its rear screen, that I introduced the NX 30. Et voila, no problems with seeing the NX 30's rear screen in bright sunlight. Samsung clearly listened to users of the NX 300, and solved the sunlight problem with the NX 30. But as an added bonus, there is the NX 30's EVF, which can be pulled out and tilted upwards, for great visibilty when doing any Macro work. This little camera really is very close to what, "I," would deem to fit all of, "MY," needs. Now back to St. Ffagan's. We walked along the path for a while looking at various things, then we came to what I can only describe as a village square. It is here, that you will find the bakery, the Ironmongers, and one or two other shops, all situated around a lovely "village green."

The image above is actually the shop, where the bakery sells its produce.

Now then, this, the brick building is the bakery itself with the shop next door.

Turn your back on the bakery, and, there in front of you is the "village green/square." across the green you can just see the red paintwork of the Gwalia General Store, and the Ironmongers shop.

                                                  That's all for now guys, I'll show you a little more of the openair museum of Welsh life, next time we chat. Until then, take care and have a great day.
                                                               Regards Twm.

The Samsung NX 30 and the 18-55mm kit lens is..................................

a superb pairing.

Hiya. I hope you are well, and enjoying the great weather.

I am still amazed by the Samsung cameras, (the NX 300, the Galaxy NX, and now, the NX 30), ability for close focus. This must be one of the best, (if not THE best), kit lenses out there. I mean this, it is the best of any manufacturer that I have ever used. When paired with the NX range, sensor. It is a pairing from heaven, IMHO of course, but YMMV, and you are entitled to your own opinion.
The picture below is of a flower, that I do not know the name of, that I spotted while out for a walk with the NX 30. Look at the resolution, colours and sharpness of the image. Remember, this is a handheld SOOC jpg, taken by a none to steady old chap in his 60's. I don't think there is anything to complain about here.

After being out for a walk a few days back, I got home to find a dying bee on the footpath. It had obviously stung someone, or something.

Below is a 100% crop of the image above.

Again, I can't see anything to grumble about in these images, especially when you know they are from a kit lens. and are handheld SOOC jpgs.

Well the Samsung NX 30 and its 18-55mm kit lens is still performing well..........

Hi there, here we are at the end of June, (Lord, where has the time gone?), it seems like only a week or two back we were wishing each other "Happy New Year," and here we are passed the longest day and heading towards winter, with the days now shortening. Great isn't it?

We are planning to some photographic trips during the next few weeks, to St. Fagan's Museum of Welsh life, to Brecon park, and Cold Knapp. We shall also be going to Porthkerry park, and back to Barry Island. But for now, you can see a photo that I took yesterday from the safety of my front doorstep, lol.


We had a bit of rain, and I captured it using the Samsung NX 30 and 18-55mm kit lens. This image was captured hand held, and is a SOOC jpg.

It came down quite nasty there for a while. I was safe in the shelter of our doorway.


Below is a 100% ctop of the above image. Showing the rear end of my neighbours car, and the rain tamping off the road.

That's all for now guys, be back in a few days. Stay safe and have a great day. Regards, Twm.

Well I am using the Samsung NX 30, and I am................................................

Hiya all,


I am using the Samsung NX 30 and, so far I am very pleased with its performance. Is it perfect? No, of course not. There is no such thing as a, "perfect camera." As the old adage goes, "One man's meat, is another man's poison." The main thing that I have to complain about is, you cannot select a central focus point. There is no setting available for it. There are four setting options for the focal point for AF. They are Selection AF, Multi AF, Face Detection AF, and Self Portrait AF. The nearest to a central point AF is Selection AF. Using this option, and the OK button and Multi function controller rind around the OK button, one can move the focus point to any place in the field of view. This is all well and good, but it's too easy to inadvertently move the FP, and you have to constantly reset it. This is no big deal to do, it's one press of the OK button, one press of the MULTI controller ring, and another press of the OK. hey presto, job done. But in my case, I have some health problems that cause my hands to be stiff in movement, so I am altering the FP a LOT. Would it be too much to ask for a FW update to nail down the FP to the centre point? Right gripe mode set to OFF now, lol.


We took the little NX 30 out for a walk around the park this week, and I am delighted with its performance. I have a new Samsung SD card that is rated at 60mb per second write speed, and I have to say this has improved the cameras image writing ability no end, when compared to the NX 300, and the Galaxy NX cameras. The biggest problem with the Samsung NX 300, (a camera that I, personally loved), was that one couldn't see the rear screen in bright sunlight. This was easily solved by the purchase of the anti glare screen off Amazon. But with the NX 30, there is no need for the anti glare screen. Samsung have solved the problem, and the NX 30's fully articulated screen can be viewed easily in all lighting conditions. The only other thing is, the fully articulated rear screen. ;-)
It tangles in the neck strap when turned out, so I have purchased a wrist strap off that internet company named after the tribe of female warriors. This has easily, and comfortably, solved that little problem.


As for the camera's performance, well I think it's very good. I like the SOOC jpgs. I like the colours of them. If they need any sharpening, it is a simple matter to do so in a photo editing  program. I like, and use Paint Shop Pro, but of course, you can use whatever you like. They sharpen very good without any added artifacts.

After a trip out. We came home and found a model waiting on the footpath outside. It was a bee that was dyung, after having stung someone, or something, Below is a photo of that bee.

this shows the clarity of the Samsung NX 30 and its 18-55mm kit lens. But to emphasise this point I've placed a 100% crop of the photo below.

The photo below shows the Samsnug colours, bright and vibrant. These photo's are all taken with the Samsung NX 30, and its 18-55mm kit lens. The close focus ability of the kit lens never cases to delight me.

The photo below of the little shells on a log are similar to ones that I posted a year or so back, when I first found the log. Over time, the log has dried out and split due to the dehydration. Take a look at the fibres that are pulled apart within the vee of the split. Good definition, isn't it? Don't forget these pics are all taken hand held, and are SOOC jpgs.

I don't know what the photographic subject below is called. Is it a grass, or what? It was about one metre away from me, and behind railings, so I could not get any closer. I put my arms through the gap in the railings, and took the shot. Nothing special, but look at the fine detail in the seed heads. Yes I think Samsung have a great camera in the NX 30, and I shall try my best to show you more in the coming weeks.

                                            Take care all, and have a great day. Regards, Twm.