Samsung NX30, Galaxy Camera 2, and two 16-50mm lenses launched

Samsung is not missing the excellent possibility of launching new products at CES 2014 and it has unveiled two new cameras and a pair of lenses.

The Consumer Electronics Show 2014 would not have been complete without one of the most popular companies in the world these days: Samsung. The South Korean manufacturer is present at the event and it has come prepared with several products for digital imaging enthusiasts.

The biggest smartphone vendor in the world is not doing so well when it comes to sales in the camera and lens area, but Samsung is working hard to correct this aspect. CES 2014 offers with four new Samsung products, including two shooters and two optics.

Samsung NX30 flagship mirrorless camera announced with tilting EVF and a better touchscreen

Samsung NX30 has taken the flagship crown from the NX20 with a 20-megapixel sensor, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, and many other connectivity features.

Samsung has kickstarted this year’s CES with the introduction of the NX30 mirrorless camera that features a tilting XGA electronic viewfinder as well as an articulated 3-inch AMOLED touchscreen.

The new Samsung NX30 features a 20-megapixel image sensor and Hybrid AF technology, which can both be found in the lower-end NX300. Additionally, images are processed by the DRIMe IV engine.

The flagship NX shooter also features a maximum shutter speed of 1/8000th of a second, ISO up to 25,600, RAW shooting, but no image stabilization system, so this could be a downside for people with shaky hands.

A cool trick that the NX30 can perform is the ability to control an external flash via WiFi using the built-in flash. Speaking of wireless connectivity, the camera supports both WiFi and NFC.

As for the video department, the new Samsung camera records full HD videos in MPEG-4 / H.264 format. Unfortunately, the device does not have a price or a release date for the time being.

Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 makes its first official cameo at CES 2014

Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 continues the legacy of the company’s first Android-powered shooter with improved specifications when compared to the original model.

The original Samsung Galaxy Camera has not raised the interest of very many photographers. However, the second iteration of this compact shooter is now official under the predictable name of Samsung Galaxy Camera 2.

It consists of a small and lightweight camera with a 21x optical zoom lens providing a 35mm equivalent of 23-438mm. Images are captured using a 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch-type BSI CMOS sensor with integrated optical image stabilization.

On the back, users can find a large 4.8-inch touchscreen LCD that displays Android 4.3 goodies, which are powered by a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor.

The specs list also includes maximum ISO of 3200, shutter speed range between 1/2000 and 16 seconds, built-in flash, full HD video capturing, WiFi, GPS,  Bluetooth 4.0, and a 2000mAh battery that shoots up to 400 frames on a single charge.

As expected, availability details will be revealed at a later date.

South Korean company also launches two 16-50mm zoom lenses with different apertures

The new Samsung 16-50mm lenses offer different apertures: the one on the left stands between f/3.5 and f/5.6, while the premium model on the right provides an aperture between f/2 and f/2.8.

Some people believe that they cannot be surprised. However, most of them will be proven wrong by Samsung, as the company has unveiled two zoom lenses with the same focal range in the same day at the same event.

Without further introduction, the 16-50mm f/2-2.8 S ED OIS and 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Power Zoom ED OIS optics are now official. The former is a premium “S” version, while the latter is aimed at the lower-end market, though it should be cheaper.

A lot of manufacturers provide lenses with the same focal lengths but different apertures, but the models are introduced at distinct release dates, nonetheless.

Either way, the 16-50mm f/2-2.8 S ED OIS will be bigger, heavier, and weathersealed, while the f/3.5-5.6 unit is smaller and lighter as it is based on a pancake design, but it is not suitable for use in adverse environmental conditions.