Review part 1 is now online here

This is a bombshell announcement, a massive upset and a surprise that the NX1 has a 4K H.265 codec. With this model, Samsung have taken technological step-change to the market, adding the first ever High Efficiency Video Codec (HVEC H.265) along with 4K 24p and Ultra HD at 30p to a $1499 mirrorless camera with Super 35mm sensor (APS-C). The codec is a successor to H.264 and is capable of providing ProRes quality at less than half the file size.

If full realised for image quality, H.265 in this camera has the potential to output 4K ProRes quality images – but with the same file sizes as 1080p H.264 at a low bitrate. What’s so surprising about this release is that the codec on Samsung’s mirrorless cameras until now was one of their weakest aspects. Now they have just put out the most cutting edge codec in the world for $1500. Extraordinary!

I’ll bring you a hands-on with the camera on Tuesday at the Photokina show.

Key features

6.5K Super 35mm sensor with 4K (4096 x 2160 at 24p) and Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) video mode

14bit raw stills at 28MP (6480 x 4320) from effective 28.2MP, total 30.7MP Samsung ISOCELL sensor

HVEC codec (H.265)

3″ AMOLED screen and OLED viewfinder

15fps continuous shooting rate

Extended ISO range 100-512000

UHS II speed SDXC card compatible

Backside illuminated sensor (common with compacts, but very unusual to see this in a large sensor)

The official press release

The native 4K Samsung NX1 Mirrorless Digital Camera features a 28.2MP BSI APS-C CMOS sensor that not only produces high-resolution images, but also 4K video at 24 fps, UHD at 30 fps, and full 1080p HD video at up to 60 fps. High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265) is applied so that even 4K and UHD video files remain easy to edit and share. A sharp, 3.0″ HD 1036k-dot touchscreen monitor and 205 phase-detection AF points benefit both cinematographers and still photographers, and in instances where it is preferable to use the camera’s viewfinder instead, a sharp, built-in XGA OLED electronic viewfinder is also built-in.

Built for fast shooting conditions, the NX1 provides a 15 fps burst with autofocus plus a 1/8000th second maximum shutter speed. For use in low-light, the ISO range can be expanded from 100 to 51,200. A full complement of shooting modes are available, including Aperture Priority, Auto, Manual, Program, and Shutter Priority, plus “smart” modes such as Action Freeze, Beauty Face, Fireworks, Landscape, Multi-Exposure, Night, Panorama, Rich Tone (HDR), Sunset, and Waterfall. Images can be saved as RAW files or JPEGs of various file sizes that correspond to user-selectable image ratios of 3:2, 16:9, or 1:1 and according to the user’s desired color editing space of Adobe RGB or sRGB.

Saving and outputting large video and image files are accommodated by the camera’s ability to utilize UHS-I or UHS-II SD-type memory cards, and a USB 3.0 port. Additionally, a micro HDMI connector allows video to be recoded directly to an external recording device with a 4:2:2 (8-bit) output signal. The NX1 also takes advantage of wireless technology as well. Built-in Near Field Communication (NFC) capability allows individual images to be wirelessly transferred from the camera to a smartphone or tablet. Additionally, 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi capability coupled with Bluetooth 3.0 technology allows for fast and cordless transfer of files while providing constant and accurate GPS data when the NX1 is paired with smartphone.

Designed to fit securely in hand, the NX1 is also water and dust resistant with a magnesium-alloy internal frame for added durability.