Samsung NX500 Shooter’s Report: A high-res, 4K-shooting compact ILC; a traveler’s NX1?

posted Friday, March 20, 2015 at 7:15 PM EDT

Not long after bringing out a big batch of real-world gallery images, followed shortly by laboratory First Shots, our in-depth Samsung NX500 Shooter's Report is here. After spending some quality time with this compact ILC during a press trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, I am rather impressed by this latest compact mirrorless camera that Samsung's positioning as a "miniature NX1" of sorts.

Of course, Samsung made a big impression with their high-performance, DSLR-like NX1 mirrorless camera; their first truly, pro-level NX-series camera. It's packed to the brim with some very impressive technology and has a lot of horsepower under the hood. But for those photographers out there who are just stepping into the world of interchangeable lens cameras or those who want something small and compact, a big weather-sealed NX1 just might not be what the doctor ordered, so to speak.

16-50mm Kit Lens: 16mm, f/9.0, 1/400s, ISO 100

Enter the NX500, which houses much of the same technology and horsepower as its big brother, but shaves off a few bells and whistles to maintain the svelte, rangefinder-like design of its NX300 predecessor. In my shooting experience, I found the Samsung NX500 to be a very enjoyable, well-performing camera. It's great for traveling and keeping your camera kit light and easy to use, all while producing some excellent images and ultra-HD 4K videos. Of course, there are some limitations and some drawbacks, and the NX500 isn't for everyone, but for the intended user, it is a solid, well-rounded camera.

For all the details, though, of my time with the NX500, head over to the Samsung NX500 Shooter's Report for the full review as well as even more real-world gallery images! And be sure to stay tuned as the NX500, which is now back at IRHQ undergoing our in-depth laboratory testing. We'll have performance data, more lab test shots, as well as our print quality and image quality comparisons for the Samsung NX500 very soon!