Samsung NX30 - First Shots from Samsung’s flagship

posted Monday, April 28, 2014 at 3:10 PM EDT

The Samsung NX30 has now taken the first leg of its voyage through our rigorous test lab series, and we present to you our lab test First Shots from this new flagship model in Samsung's mirrorless camera line.

Almost two years in the making, the NX30 houses a new sensor with the same size and 20.3 mp resolution as its predecessor the Samsung NX20, but has introduced a new manufacturing process using copper for the metal interconnects rather than the more traditional aluminum. The net result to NX30 users promises less noise and potentially greater dynamic range across the ISO spectrum.

So, just how much did this new manfacturing method aid in this quest? Stay tuned, as our test results will be analysed in the coming weeks. In the meantime we invite you to take a look at these First Shots in our Comparometer and compare the NX30 to its predecessor and the competition at varying ISOs to guage overall noise levels, contrast, dynamic range and fine detail. Does it best its lower-priced cousin the NX300? Or how about the Sony A6000 or the Panasonic GH4?

To get you started, below is a crop comparison at nearly full resolution beside the NX20 at ISO 3200. The NX30 certainly seems to do a better job at resolving some of the finer details in the lettering, but is there just a bit more noise processing artifacts in the green area of the label? Let your own eyes be the judge. And should you find anything particularly interesting in your own comparisons, feel free to come back to this page and let us know in the comments section below.