Review: the Samsung NX Mini Camera
Selfie. The word itself sounds ridiculous, perhaps even a little bit obnoxious. But for the social media generation, the Selfie is the number one currency when trading on social relevance. It's not just an obvious way to communicate your individual beauty, but also your mood and personality!
I've taken it a notch higher because I'm a beauty blogger - my blog is a passion as well as a source of income, so I need to be able to come out with the best photos for you guys. That's why my selfie-taking routine is quite complex. Here's how I usually do it:
1. Find a strong light source, preferably day light, preferably around 4-5pm. Night time is no good - changing the camera settings will only result in a grainy or blurry photo.
2. Flip my camera screen, and start going through my best angles. It's a little bit longer when I show off an eyeshadow, blush, lipstick, etc.
3. Edit the raw file. I fix the exposure, saturation, contrast, and color balance of all my photos even when I shoot them in maximum conditions. Not to mention stray hair, shiny spots, bumps, and things. This takes a LOT of time!
Get the picture? (Pun, ha ha). Then the Samsung NX Mini Camera (P21,000) came to my life, and the first time I took a selfie with it, this is what I got with zero editing.
My skin looks out-of-this-world - every pore looks smooth and my complexion looks so even, while keeping the actual color of the makeup I used. How cool is that? The Beauty Face function is switched on my Samsung NX Mini here, which explains the flawless results.
Obviously I don't look this perfect in real life, which opens a can of worms about self-image and true confidence, but I don't want to overthink it. I find it fun that I look great in photos with less effort, and I love my new camera for it!
I'm not that into gadgets so this won't be a terribly technical review. I think the important bits to mention is that it has a 180-degree flip touchscreen, interchangeable lens, a 1-inch sensor (bigger sensor = better pics) that can take 20.5MP photos, fast shutter speed, excellent battery life (it can take up to 650 shots on a full charge), and full HD video - all packed in a compact body that weighs only 158 grams.
It also has amazing preset modes for whatever scene you care to shoot. Wanna photograph a landscape, party, fireworks, or food? Just click on the neat array of modes! The photo, once taken, is already processed to showcase your subject in the best possible way.
Because of all those features, the Samsung NX Mini takes great selfies and wide-angle shots. I love bringing it with me because it's so small and can fit in any of my hand bags. It's what I prefer to use when I take pictures of events or random scenes that inspire me. Yes, I can use my phone (which takes fantastic photos too) but I'd rather save my battery for my apps.
The Samsung NX Mini isn't called a smart camera for nothing - it has a host of amazing features that can put even my phone to shame. However, my favorite function of the NX Mini is that it can wirelessly transfer files to your devices AND online accounts. You can email the photos directly from the camera, upload photos to your social media, Flickr, and Dropbox accounts, or set it up to that photos are uploaded to your phone or laptop as you take them. This makes for easier access to my photos without having to physically connect the camera to any device!
The downside: this is still not going to replace my old camera for taking product pictures. The lens it comes with is fantastic for wide-angle shots, but it has no zoom function and the macro setting is quite limited. It doesn't take crisp pictures up close, something I need for product shots, which are detail-intensive. According to Samsung Philippines, you can only use Samsung interchangeable lens for the NX Mini - something they don't have here yet.
Otherwise this is an excellent camera for capturing the day-to-day moments of your life. It takes amazing selfies (can't emphasize that enough) even if the lighting is bad or if you have shaky hands. Its incredibly compact so it doesn't weigh down your bag (the reason I don't bring my cameras before). It's about as long as your average lip crayon, and about as thick too.
I think that the Samsung NX Mini is a great buy if you just want something for personal documentation and social media sharing. It's not quite like a DSLR or other bad-ass mirror less bridge cameras, but who needs those everyday, unless your livelihood depends on it? I'm glad I got my hands on the NX Mini and will definitely continue to use it. ^_^
PS - Something I'm sure you've been waiting for - the winner of my Samsung NX Mini Giveaway! The winner is Bea Pantoja, who posted an unfortunate attempt at a photo with Charice Pempengco, as a flash messed up the shot halfway. This entry was chosen by Samsung Philippines. Congratulations Bea!
