Samsung Intros NX11 Interchangeable Lens Camera With i-Function Lens Support

Samsung's NX10 isn't an "old" camera yet, but these days, it doesn't take long for a product to be overshadowed by a successor. The pace of technological innovation continues to hasten, and Samsung's NX11 is proof of that. The company is fighting for a stake in the interchangeable lens arena, where some Micro Four Thirds companies like Panasonic and Olympus are leading the way. But Samsung has something that no one else has: i-Function lenses.


This feature was announced earlier in the year with the NX100 camera, and now the second camera to feature the system is being revealed. Samsung did release a firmware update that enabled the NX10 to support i-Function lenses, but the NX11 has native support for those. Those lenses have an "i" button on them that allows the operator to change settings with just the twist of a dial on the lens rather than forcing users to dig through deep menus to do so.

The NX11 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, and it will ship with a 18-55mm i-Function lens, as well as two new i-Function lenses, a 20mm pancake and a 20-50mm zoom silver color lens. Additionally, the NX11 has a lens priority mode dial, simplifying the search for the best mode for each lens. The APS-C sensor is bigger than those on Micro Four Thirds cameras, which is a point Samsung is quite proud of. As for other specifications, there's a 3" AMOLED display, a built-in electronic VGA (640x480) viewfinder, 720p movie mode, 14.6MP CMOS sensor, a hot shoe on top, loads of Smart Modes, and support for taking RAW photographs.

The NX11 will ship in February 2011 for $649 with the bundled zoom lens.

Samsung Launches the NX11: the Latest NX System Camera and Lens Line Up

Create high quality images with the camera’s easy-to-use i-Function lens

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the launch of the NX11 - the latest addition to the highly successful NX family of cameras. The NX11 contains a feature set similar to Samsung’s first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the NX10, however the NX11 is also compatible with the new i-Function lens that was introduced for the NX100. The NX11 will come complete with an 18-55mm i-Function lens, as well as two new i-Function lenses, a 20mm pancake and a 20-50mm zoom silver color lens. The launch reinforces the company’s commitment to leading innovation in the compact system camera market.

    “Today’s launch is important for Samsung in reinforcing our position as a leading innovator in the digital camera market and for showing our innovation in the compact system camera market”

The i-Function lens puts the perfect picture at the fingertips of all photographers by providing an exceptionally easy way of controlling the camera. Since a typical camera user wraps their hand around the lens when holding the camera, the new i-Function system allows photographers to naturally use their left hand to change the camera’s advanced settings via a button built into the i-Function lens, without needing to take the camera off the target. Users can toggle between shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO quickly and easily by simply using the i-Function button or ring on the lens, meaning easier and quicker configurations while shooting.

The NX11 also focuses on usability, with a change in the grip design to make shooting easier and more comfortable for users. Additionally, the NX11 has a lens priority mode dial, simplifying the search for the best mode for each lens. The camera also includes a convenient, one-touch i-Function button that activates common shooting controls like aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance, meaning easier and quicker configuration while shooting. The camera makes taking great landscape scenes or pictures of large groups simple by featuring a panorama mode, which allows the user to take panoramic pictures in one press-and-sweep motion. As with the NX10, the NX11 uses the best-in-class APS-C sensor for better image quality. The APS-C sensor is larger than Micro 4/3 and delivers high quality images with ease.

“Today’s launch is important for Samsung in reinforcing our position as a leading innovator in the digital camera market and for showing our innovation in the compact system camera market,” said Mr. Hyunho Chung, Executive Vice President and Head of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. “The NX11, while offering the best features of the NX10, has an upgraded design and the additional i-Function capability with more lenses. The launch of our next offering in the NX range also demonstrates our commitment to our customers, by producing user driven innovation in the form of easy-to-use functions and upgraded customization.”

Alongside the built-in flash and built-in electronic VGA (640x480) viewfinder, the NX11 has a 3.0” AMOLED LCD screen. The AMOLED screen reduces the glare from sunlight so that consumers can see their images under any lighting conditions. The user can also get a more vivid, clearer image through enhanced color reproduction. The NX11 provides high quality video with 720p HD recording, and its large APS-C sensor allows the videos to be recorded with shallow depth of field, providing effects similar to those in motion picture movies.