TechRadar Verdict
Pros
- +
Nice images
- +
Stylish
- +
Screen good in bright sunlight
- +
Digital level
Cons
- -
Remote viewfinder lacks functionality
- -
Screen only 614k dots
- -
No in-built flash
- -
Limited lens range
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Although it was one of the first camera manufacturers to go mirrorless, Samsung hasn't quite seen the same success as its rivals in the compact system camera field.
Keen to offer something more unusual, the latest batch of Samsung NX cameras - including the Samsung NX210 and brothers the Samsung NX20 and Samsung NX1000 - come equipped with integrated Wi-Fi, enabling a number of different options, including the ability to email or share images and use a mobile phone or tablet as a remote viewfinder.
Other than the addition of Wi-Fi, little has changed on the Samsung NX210 from its predecessor, the Samsung NX200.
It features the same body and control layout, while also housing the same 20.3 million-pixel APS-C CMOS sensor.
Another minor change to the CSC is the increase in frame rate, with the Samsung NX210 capable of 8fps, compared with the Samsung NX200's 7fps.
Additional features that have been brought over from the NX200 include a fixed 3-inch, 614k dot screen, which offers a 100% field of view. Auto sensitivity ranges from ISO 100-ISO 3200, which is expandable up to ISO 12800.
A flash is not included on the camera, though an external device does come bundled in the box. Offering a Guide Number of 9, this slots into the hotshoe on the top of the camera.
For those looking for more creative options, these are supplied via the camera's Magic mode. A number of digital filters and quirky frames can be found under this option.
The Samsung NX210 has a full price of £750 in the UK and $900 in the US, and sits in the middle of Samsung's latest lineup of compact system cameras, in between the more advanced Samsung NX20 and above the Samsung NX1000.
Featuring a more robust metal body than the NX1000, the NX210 is designed to be a more stylish option than the NX20, which is styled more akin to a traditional DSLR.
Samsung cameras don't quite have the lens range available that Panasonic or Olympus cameras do, but with nine currently on the market it is starting to make inroads.
Announced at the same time as the latest NX range, the standard 18-55mm OIS lens that comes bundled with the Samsung NX210 in the kit package has been redesigned to include a metal mount. The previous version used plastic.
Other lenses currently available in the Sony NX mount include a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens, an 85mm portrait lens and a 20mm pancake lens.
Six out of the nine lenses are also i-Function optics. This technology, which is unique to Samsung cameras, enables direct access to key controls (such as aperture and sensitivity), and is something the company is keen to push.
