Samsung Samsung catch a break from DxOMark: NX200, NX20

Luckypenguin

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Nic
wow, that's a pretty big improvement! The NX20 is getting really close to Sony's sensors, except in the high ISO department. Good to see Samsung capable of producing really good sensors :)
 
Actually high ISO is where the Samsung is closest to the Sony. The Samsung makes more noise at lower ISOs and crosses the 30dB barrier 1/3 stop sooner, hence it's lower score for sports. At ISO 1600 and beyond the Samsung is almost but not quite matching the NEX 6 and only trailing the K-01 due to significant raw smoothing on the Pentax. It's amazing the power of internet hearsay that would tell you that Samsung's sensor technology is outdated compared to Sony's.

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It's too bad Samsung still insists on melting JPEG's at just moderate ISO's. If not I surely would have tried one by now with that pancake 30. I know- RAW and all that. But I appreciate cameras with good JPEG output.
 
I think the Samsung sensor is now close enough, based on the DxOmark data, to be considered a "wash" against the Sony sensors. I never put much stock in small DxOmark differences. With Samsung's aggressive pricing, they may be one to watch. Interesting that on the main German forum for these kinds of cameras, there is a lot more Samsung discussion than Fuji discussion.
 
It's too bad Samsung still insists on melting JPEG's at just moderate ISO's. If not I surely would have tried one by now with that pancake 30. I know- RAW and all that. But I appreciate cameras with good JPEG output.

I don't use the jpegs myself but I do agree that Samsung could improve their handling of in-camera noise reduction, although 20MP of resolution does give them some leeway to remove noise more aggressively.
 
I really like their cameras, the NX line has great ergonomics and a really good lens line-up - I'd say second after m43 among mirrorless systems, together with Fuji (although their priorities are different than Fuji's). The first sensors (NX10/11/100) really weren't at the level of the competition, but now that they've caught up, it's a very competitive system - like Andrew said, there's just not enough awareness among the camera buying public. Part of that might be down to prejudice, part of it might be down to crappy marketing.
 
Excuse my use of an impromptu self portrait as an example, but this below is from the NX200 at ISO 6400, 30mm, f/3.5, 1/30 second. I'm intrigued by the idea that Samsung has made a further advance between the NX200 and NX20 with what you would assume to be the same basic sensor, although the test charts would indicate that any differences are to be found at the other end of the ISO scale

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By comparison, this is what the camera came up with as a jpeg. Besides the white balance difference, it seems to me the Samsung jpeg engine has been tuned to remove luminance noise over colour noise which I think is back-to-front.

SAM_2708-PRJ_zpsdb964ae9.jpg
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