Samsung today announced a new breed of cameras, their NX series of bridge cameras which are neither DSLRs nor compact point-and-shoots. They’re called bridge cameras because they’re supposed to be between DSLRs and compacts. The announcement was made in time for the opening of PMA 2009 tomorrow, March 3 in Las Vegas, USA.
The Samsung NX series touts the performance and image quality of a DSLR and the portability and convenience of a compact point-and-shoot. They used an APS-C sized DSLR image sensor but took out the mirror box of a DSLR and replaced it with an electronic viewfinder. The result: a camera that’s 60% smaller and lighter than the usual DSLR.
It’s supposed to be able to use interchangeable DSLR lenses. Its compact size brings the Samsung NX series directly in a head-to-head turf war with the Micro Four Thirds format pioneered by Olympus and Panasonic, specifically with the smallish Panasonic G1.
Samsung said the new NX Series bridges the gap between a DSLR and compact point-and-shoot digital camera by combining the benefits of both in one new model. The first model of the NX series is scheduled to be available in the second-half of 2009.
[Site: Samsung Camera]
