Samsung EX1 Review

Samsung EX1: Hands-on review

The Samsung EX1 specs, announced back in February were met with much approval from photographers. Boasting the kind of features more at home on hybrid cameras packaged into a reasonable price, the high-spec compact EX1 looked likely to impress.

On board you’ll find a 10 megapixel 1/1.7inch hypersensitive CCD sensor, a super bright Schneider KREUZNACH wide-angle 5.2-15.6mm (24mm-72mm equivalent) zoom and a very handy flip-out AMOLED screen. Consider the built-in flash, the ability to shoot in RAW, movie recording and full manual controls, and the Samsung EX1 is starting to sound like a very attractive proposition indeed.

The EX1's launch price puts it into the enthusiast compact camera category, where there's some established, high-perfomance competition to contend with. My initial impression is that it doesn’t fit as nicely in the hand as the Panasonic LX3, the Canon G11 or even the new hybrid Sony NEX-5.

The body of the EX1 is in fact slightly larger than that of the NEX-5, but it’s grip isn't deep enough to be useful and the entire body ends up drowning my (smallish) hands. Even if you prefer a larger camera, the shallow grip isn't likely to instill confidence – although the rubberised surface is effective. The EX1 isn't really a pocketable compact, unless you happen to have extremely large pockets – so it’s worth bearing that in mind.

The EX1 looks stylish enough, and it is reassuringly weighty giving the appearance of quality. The number of dials and buttons also adds gravitas to the camera for serious shooters – although it could potentially put off those less experienced.

Samsung really know what they’re doing with screens, and it shows in the EX1. Easily one of the biggest selling points of this camera, the 3.0inch VGA AMOLED screen flips out and rotates for multi-angle shooting, a useful feature that’s missing on the likes of the Panasonic Lumix LX3.

Power-up is quick, and the screen displays a good amount of information without being overwhelming. Zooming from wide to long is a lot slower than the start-up time, which is odd. Surrounding the power button you’ll find a dial for shooting mode options (single, continuous, self timer and bracket), while to the right you’ll find another dial for program modes (iAuto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Dual IS, Scene and Movie).

The dials give it an almost retro feel, but with the rounded shutter button placed close to them, the EX1's top-plate might look a little cluttered for some tastes. On a positive note though, everyday settings such as ISO are easy to access and quick to change via the familiar menu dial on the back of the camera. The smaller function button's used to quickly bring up other useful features such as white balance without the need to go delving through submenus to find it. Dialling in exposure compensation is a quick process too. There's a small wheel in the grip, just where the index finger falls. Press it in and turn it to dial in +/- exposure compensation, the click it again to lock the setting.

There's a dedicated movie record button on the rear of the EX1, placed where your thumb falls. The lack of an HD movie mode is a curious one though. The EX1 shoots 640x480 at 30fps / H.264, which, in comparision to the likes of the Panasonic LX3's 1280x720, 24fps, seems outdated.

There’s a built-in flash as well as a hotshoe for adding optional extras. Inkeeping with the solid build quality. the flash makes a satisfying ‘clunk’ as it pops up, and although the switch is a little bit fiddly, the flash itself seems fairly sturdily built.

On to the fast Schneider KREUZNACH lens, the feature that's likely to draw more interest in the EX1 than any other. Claiming to be the “world’s brightest f/1.8 lens”, it is pretty impressive to see a compact capable of such large apertures, while its wide-angle capability (24mm) is also fairly impressive for a compact. The main let-down here is the lens cap, which unlike many premium compacts isn’t attached to the lens – it's just waiting to slip off in a bag.

Samsung EX1: Hands on Review
Samsung EX1 Review: Image Quality
Samsung EX1 Review: Sample images
Samsung EX1 Review: Verdict
Samsung EX1 Review: Specifications and product images