Samsung NX30 Shooter’s Report Part II: Can this NX flagship handle the rigors of action photography?

 

 

When the Samsung NX30 was first announced, I was really impressed with the performance-related features and specs -- especially the autofocus system and speed. Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) video at 60 frames per second is pretty cool, too. But since I'm primarily an outdoor action-sports photographer who spends a lot of time way up in the mountains, I'm always interested in small, light cameras that have great action performance. The NX30 can shoot full-resolution raw bursts as fast as nine frames per second. That's fast -- faster than the Canon EOS 7D I've been using for most of my action shooting over the past few years.

The NX30 also has a hybrid autofocus system that combines contrast-detection and phase-detection autofocus for increased accuracy and speed. My contacts at Samsung assured me that the camera's action performance was amazing, and that I would be impressed. I've had a chance to shoot a lot of mountain biking with it now, and I am prepared to pass judgment.

Read on to my Samsung NX30 Shooter's Report Part II to learn how it performed in my world -- a world dominated my mountain biking and other high-speed activities of doubtful value.

 

One frame from a nine fps burst of 13 JPEGs. I wanted to show how sketchy this rock section was, and the NX30's fast burst capture allowed me to choose exactly the right moment. NX30 + 18-55mm Kit Lens @ 18mm, f/3.5, 1/1,250s, ISO 400.

Stay tuned! Our Shooter's Report Part III to follow soon.

[quick links: Samsung NX30 • Shooter's Reports: Part I, Part II • Lab Samples • Gallery]