Samsung NX3000 Wireless Smart 20.3MP Mirrorless Digital Camera with 16-50mm OIS Power Zoom Lens and Flash (White)

Update: It's been six years and Samsung is no longer making cameras, but I continue to be very happy with this camera's performance and have had no problems with it. I am going to be doing some food photography which is new for me, and so I looked into investing a whole new camera system. But it seemed like it would be incredibly expensive without any improved quality, so instead I bought a used 60mm NX lens as well as another Samsung NX body (open box on eBay for a little more than $100) to have a backup. Note that I've heard from a variety of sources that the sound quality on this camera is terrible, and so if I ever decide to do videos on a camera rather than my phone, I will have to get something else for that. For still photos I think this is a great camera system (especially for the price) though! About me: Many years ago, I was a reporter who took a lot of photos (mostly b/w) for work using a totally manual film camera (Minolta SRT). Then I had a tiny Nikon point-and-shoot that I used to produce some decent pictures, based mostly on composition and editing software. Finally I decided to invest in a mirrorless camera, to see if I could get something approaching the quality of a traditional camera in a smaller size. So far I've only been working in digital rather than printing anything. Why Samsung NX3000? I spent a ridiculous amount of time researching mirrorless cameras and came close to buying a Panasonic (either GM1 or GX7). Possibly I may end up switching to another brand, but so far this has been a good start for a variety of reasons: 1) Large sensor size. (A friend who used to work for a photography magazine insisted that was really important.) 2) Although there are not as many different lenses for this camera as there are for other brands, the lenses that do exist received high ratings from camera magazines/blogs and seemed generally much more reasonable than some other lenses. (The 16-55mm kit lens has been fine, but so far I really love the 16mm prime - it's tiny, has a wider f-stop, and seems to have a bit better quality than the kit lens. I'm just ordered the 30mm prime and am planning to buy the 50-200mm zoom as well.) 3) The cell phone battery lasts for a very long time. I am buying an extra battery just in case, but I doubt I will need it. 4) I've used the camera in a variety of different modes, and generally it produces quite good photos regardless. 5) I haven't used the flash at all yet, but the availability of the hotshoe to use a variety of different flash attachments rather than being committed to only a pop-up flash makes me feel somewhat more comfortable. (If I planned to use a flash routinely, not having a pop-up flash available might be frustrating though.) 6) The camera has a classic feeling (reminding me of my old huge manual camera) and seems fairly easy to hold still when taking pictures. 7) $350 including the 16-55mm kit lens was a very good price compared to other cameras with similar capabilities. Downsides: 1) Compared to a point-and-shoot, it feels really large even with a pancake lens on it. The Panasonic GM1 apparently is only a little smaller, so my fantasy that tiny cameras can be quality cameras may not quite be reality. 2) I think I would have preferred having a standard memory card, or at least having the needed micro card included. I ordered the wrong size card through Amazon and then had to go shopping before I could use the camera. 3) The main feature that the camera does not include is a viewfinder, which seems to add at least a few hundred dollars (and some extra bulk) to any camera. I decided to try a camera without a viewfinder to see if I missed it. And I do miss it, especially when the lighting is problematic. On the other hand, the camera seems to be quite good at autofocusing and I can generally see the screen well enough to compose the shot. So I think that it's good enough for now. 4) I thought that the selfie feature would allow me to take photos of myself in front of landmarks without having to ask for assistance from strangers, but this is really not the case. A wide-angle lens (such as 16mm) distorts human faces enough to make people very unattractive, and anything less wide will not allow the face and background to fit into the frame. So that is not a reason to buy this camera, in my opinion. One thing that I found difficult was choosing an appropriate bag. I currently am using the following bag, which is large enough to hold the camera and kit lens; a few more lenses (the kit lens and two pancakes); the flash; an extra battery and memory card; and a few filters. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AQF4JG/

This camera, if purchased, should be bought with the 16-50mm lens. This lens is quite compact, has stabilization which helps taking non-blurry pictures indoors or in dim lighting, and can be used to take wide angle shots. The lens is very versatile and has sharpness well beyond most camera "kit lenses." Pros: - NX system has good assortment of lenses with high optical quality and fair prices, including some very compact pancake prime lenses - Same DSLR-size APS-C sensor as NX300 (and same or better image quality) - User interface good - intuitive to pick up and use, with good advanced options available as well. - Can be purchased with new stabilized, compact, 16-50mm kit lens Cons: - No touch screen (NX300 has one) - Slightly lower resolution screen than e.g. NX300 (but still pretty good screen clarity) - Uses microSD cards instead of SD (not a major issue per se, but can be inconvenient)

EDIT: I came back a few months later to update my review from 4 to 5 stars. Every electronic has room for improvement, but this is my 8th digital camera in a long line of point-and-shoots, super-zooms and dSLR's, and it is the best I've ever had or used by leaps and bounds. It takes photos just as well as my dSLR with basic lenses but without all the bulk and hassle. I get people constantly asking me about this camera or commenting on my photos asking what I used. I've convinced 3 other people to purchase it and they all fell in immediate love with it. It is just so intuitive, quick to use, and the wifi uploading means I never have photos stay on my camera forever, never to see the light of day. It is probably one of my favorite electronics I've ever owned. ORIGINAL REVIEW: Firstly I wanted to state that if you're considering buying this camera, add it to your cart and get the Amazon updates about price changes to items you've placed in your cart. Reason being, I just bought this brand new on Thursday or Friday (it is now Monday) and the price went up $100. While I was making my purchase decision I noticed this happened frequently. In terms of the 16-50mm OIS or the 20-50mm, get the 16-50. I will add a photo of each lens on the camera side-by-side. I initially received the wrong lens on the camera via a Warehouse Deal and had to purchase another and return it, so I had two cameras, one with a 16-50mm and one with a 20-50mm at the same time for a day. Anyway, the 16-50mm is silent when zooming and the 20-50 is far from silent. the 16-50mm is also almost an inch shorter. Why I chose NX3000 over NXMini: - touch screen wasn't necessary for me - I'd like to use my Canon lenses and the adapter to do so with the Mini is over $100, with the 3000 it is around $20. This was the main reasoning for me. - Some reviews said the Mini had better battery life but come to find out, same battery - It isn't THAT much smaller. Why I chose NX3000 vs NX300: - 300's screen doesn't flip all the way up for "selfies" or vlogging if you do that. The NX500 has both a touch screen like the Mini and a full flip out like the 3000, but is crazy expensive. Why I chose NX3000 over Sony a5000: - Better battery life - more intuitive - cheaper - felt bulkier - preferred NX3000 quality in comparison photos and sample photos Pro's: - Small, though slightly larger than point and shoots - I honestly use my dSLR less and less - flipping up the screen automatically turns on camera and a mode that smooths skin. Pretty amazing. - You press the Mobile button, select "select photos from camera" it creates a wifi that I select on my phone, once connected (takes seconds) I open the Samsung app on my phone and send the photos I want on over. I can very quickly post photos from the camera to Instagram which is awesome. - Very intuitve. Easiest to use camera I've ever had. - Editing modes built right into the camera are as good as any photo editing app I have. - Auto mode actually selects from various built in modes for you, and the built in modes are pretty awesome and specific. - photo quality is so awesome, I was so surprised. - Focuses quickly Con's - I wish there were more WIFI options like uploading straight to iCloud or Picasa. With the touchscreen versions there is an option or direct to Facebook, I haven't found that's true on the NX3000 so far but I don't think so. - I wish there was a little dongle for the lens cap, it is so tiny! I bought one from eBay by searching "lens cap holder" - MicroSD. Yikes, I'm going to lose so many of these lol. Make sure to get a high speed one (10x I think is the fastest?) - I wish the screen also turned all the way around like my Canon T3i, so that it remains protected. I bought screen covers and a case but still.

Don't buy this camera. Here's why: I'm writing this review to express how disappointed I am in this camera and particularly at the lack of customer support that Samsung offers for this product. I bought this camera less than 1 year ago in December of 2016. I was excited with the camera originally because it seemed to fit the bill that I wanted: decent quality pictures, viewing screen that flipped forward, compact, and also wi-fi capabilities so I could directly transfer the photos to my phone. I thought it was great and many friends were interested after seeing some of the photos that I took from it. However, about 6-months in, things started to break down. First, the Samsung Smart Camera App necessary to transfer the photos via wi-fi was no longer compatible with my phone, a Google Nexus 5X. I kept uninstalling, re-installing, and monitoring for app updates hoping Samsung would fix the issue. I left several reviews on the app website, along with many other dissatisfied app users, asking the developers to update the app so that it would be compatible again. I also emailed Samsung multiple times and received no response. I finally conceded that this was a battle I would not win, that they simply were not going to update the app so my only hope was to get a new phone. However, no rational person buys a new phone to accommodate one singular app. So I resorted to plugging in the USB wire and transferring to my computer, then uploading photos to google and downloading it onto my phone---3 intermediary transfer steps just to get the photos onto my phone. About two months ago, even this process is started to fail and I realized the USB port on the camera was breaking down and dropping connection intermittently. What should be a quick plug-in and file transfer now became an ordeal where I had to gingerly balance the camera so that the cord touches the USB port at just the right angle, and then being careful to not make any sudden movements lest I disrupt the connection. It is a total pain and should not be happening for a camera that is less than a year old. Lastly, I find that any additional lens I purchase for this camera actually messes up the functionality. I purchased a Samsung 30mm prime lens that was specifically for this NX3000 model. After I week of use, I noticed that the camera would flicker on and off, the viewing screen would freeze up, and then automatically change settings (i.e. from auto setting to P, A, or S, even if I was not touching the dial wheel). If I switched back to the lens kit, the spotty behavior would disappear. I tested this through several photo shoots and concluded that there was something in the wiring of the Samsung 30mm lens that was making the camera body extra sensitive to movement, so it would circuit out. I tried to file a warranty on the Samsung Camera website which was terrible and led to a bunch of dead ends. When I finally found the page to file, this particular model was not listed in the drop down menu. So I selected the model that was most like the NX3000, but then I was prompted to enter a serial number, which unsurprisingly was not a match since this particular model was not an option. Ultimately, I was not able to file a warranty and received no support for this product. I'm completely disappointed in this product and more so, in the complete lack of support and disrespectful level of apathy from Samsung. I've been a staunch Samsung supporter, having owned the Galaxy 2, 3, and 5 phones and a Samsung TV before this. I thought the Samsung Camera would be a good camera to purchase and wanted to support the brand, but after this terrible experience, I am no longer going to purchase anything from the Samsung family of brands. Don't buy this camera.

Decent point and shoot camera. Takes good pictures in auto modes. Basically if you are a point and shoot camera person this gives you good lenses nice pictures nice features. If you are a serious photographer who likes professional body's with all the manual controls easily at your fingertips this is not a camera to consider. I like manual mode on my nikons. I can change anything I want in a second at my fingertips. This camera is all menu driven and it takes longer to scroll through the buttons to get the settings you want than I want to deal with. I bought it for its price and because I want a light weight small everyday camera. It's great but I find the lack of manual controls frustrating and after three weeks of carrying it every day I gave it to my sister to take pictures of the kids and play with on vacations. She likes it. I went back to carrying my nikon dslr daily even if it's big heavy and barely fits in a backpack. To me the older 16 mp nikon is just all around better. But yes I'm unfairly comparing a $600 body and lens kit to what was a $4000 body with a small fortune in lens next to it. For what it is its a decent camera.

OK OK, click bait title, but really, the Amazon Reps were amazing. I bought this camera and expected a lot. This was my first camera, a step up from the point and shoot, and realized that there was a steep learning curve in understanding all the aspects of photography. However, within the next month or so (after the return deadline had passed) the camera started to have a mind of it's own and began to switch through all the pre-set settings, Panorama, Smart, Aperture, etc. I tried the software update, reinstalled the software, and tried to deal with it but I couldn't get past the fact that I couldn't capture a moment because the video/camera just switched. It was hard to contact Samsung directly as their support website was in Korean and the last software update was 2-3 years ago. Go figure. Another negative (at least for me) was the micro SD card. It's too small, which means easy to lose and more difficult to handle. Finally, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. the NFC or wireless or whatever it was, stopped working. Perhaps it was due to an update on Apple's side or another function on the camera not working properly but regardless that function didn't work and that was it for me. Thankfully Amazon Customer Representatives were exceptional and helped me return this unusable camera.

The NX3000 employs the same 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor as all the other NX-series cameras (apart from the NX Mini), which is around 1.5x physically larger than the Micro Four Thirds system and promises to rival the image quality of the majority of DSLRs, whilst still maintaining a small camera body that is very similar to the likes of the comparable Sony NEX, Olympus PEN, Fujifilm X and Panasonic G-series. The all-plastic NX3000 does at least have a metal lens mount and tripod socket, very commendable considering its budget price-tag. First impressions of the NX3000 are positive, with satisfying build quality. Our review sample has a functional look with an attractive, slightly retro two-tone black and silver colourway and subtly rounded edges. There's a faux-leather textured area which covers the front of the camera, including the tactile curved handgrip, which sadly isn't very deep. The same leatherette finish extends around the right-hand flank and covers the small rear thumb panel too. Measuring 117.4 x 65.9 x 39mm and weighing 230g without the battery fitted, the NX3000 is slightly smaller and lighter than the NX2000 that it replaces. Once again there's no viewfinder or built-in pop-up flash, and while beginners probably won't notice the lack of an EVF, being more used to holding a camera at arm's length than holding one up to their eye, they will undoubtedly miss having a flash, while the reverse is probably true for more experienced photographers. Flash is instead provided for by a supplied accessory (SEF-8, guide number of 8 meters at ISO 100) which slots into the Smart Shoe on top of the camera, which adds to the bulk of the camera and isn't as well integrated as some of its main rivals. Another accessory is the EM10 external microphone, which features adjustable levels, a built-in headphone jack and no external cabling and is commendably compatible with all the Samsung NX models, including the NX3000. Note that there is no external EVF option for the NX3000. We tested the NX3000 with the new Samsung 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 Power Zoom ED OIS lens, which has the built-in i-Functionality, a metal mount and more crucially optical stabilisation, important as the NX system doesn't offer in-body stabilisation. It's also smaller and more compact than the 20-50mm kit lens that shipped with the NX2000. Samsung's now standard i-Function button is present and correct, an innocuous looking button on the lens barrel which when pressed activates a sub-menu of key options and allows you to change them simply by turning the focus ring. Consecutive presses of the i-Function button moves through the four available settings - shutter speed and/or aperture, ISO, exposure compensation, and white balance. While the i-Function button does provide a quick way of accessing certain key settings, we still can't help feeling that the idea is best suited to a camera with an electronic viewfinder where you can hold it up to your eye, press the button and turn the focus ring with your left hand, and grip the camera with your right. Holding the NX3000 at arm's length to view the settings while pressing the i-Function button and rotating the focus ring just seems a little cumbersome, especially when you can also use the rear controls to perform the same actions, something that we found ourselves doing by default.

First, I must say that I am an amateur when it comes to photography. I initially was in the market for a DSLR for taking photographs of family and travels. However, after some photographer friends recommended looking into a mirrorless camera, I came across this one. I am still learning many of the functions and the camera has been very user-friendly with same. I also searched google for a more comprehensive manual and found a great one on http://www.2cameraguys.com/pdf/Samsung-NX3000-camera-manual.pdf that provides a great foundation for beginners. Pros: -Compact size: I have small hands and when compared to the DSLR models I was originally looking into, this is a huge bonus. -User-friendly interface: I am still learning all of the functions, but so far, this camera seems "limitless." -Photos: So far, so good. My absolute ONLY con with this camera thus far is the WiFi feature in conjunction with the Samsung Smart Camera App. I was also seeking the instant gratification, so to speak, of taking and photo and having it sync right away with my iPhone so I may post on social media. The camera connected to my home WiFi, however, the Samsung Smart Camera App download on my phone has failed to communicate with same. There seems to be a lot of troubleshooting tips for if the camera doesn't connect, but not if the app doesn't connect which seems to be the issue. Alas, I am connecting and downloading my photographs manually.