CES is a time for unveilings, big and small. Preceding the show, Samsung has announced two new camera’s for 2011, the NX11 and WB700. Both are sequels to the expectedly named NX10 and WB650, but have a few new upgrades that should satisfy camera enthusiasts.
NX11
The NX11 is Samsung’s sequel to its first mirrorless, large-sensor camera, the NX10, but is now compatible (and will come) with the company’s 18-55mm i-Function lens, which lets photographers use a button on the left side of the lens to change advanced settings without having to look away from the target. Shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO settings can be throttled on the fly.
The camera also comes with a 3-inch AMOLED screen, 720p HD video recording, and a large APS-C sensor that improves depth of field in video recordings. It takes about 14.6 Megapixel pictures and comes in black and silver. The NX11 is slated to launch in February for $649 (bundled with the lens).
WB700
For the less hardcore, the WB700 sports a classic thin-camera look with what Samsung boasts as a 24x zoom. In reality, it has an 18x optical zoom and 1.3x “Smart Zoom,” which is a new flavor of digital zoom. The lens is a stabalized Kreuznach that starts at 24mm and extends to 432mm before the digital zoom kicks in. The camera provides 16 wonderful megapixels to work with, and can record full 720p HD video with an updated noise reduction algorithm that cancels out the noise the zooming of the camera makes when it extends and retracts.
The device appears to be a solid upgrade from the 15x optical zoom WB650. However, as some sites have pointed out, the WB650’s Geotagging seems to be missing from the new device. The WB700 will launch in April for $299.
UPDATE 12/31/2010: Samsung has issued a correction. The WB700 can only record video at 720p.
