Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto

In July, I’ve travelled to Japan with my girlfriend. On our three weeks trip we saw many amazing sights and experienced the Japanese way of living. It was a treat to our eyes and cameras. In this blog entry I would like to share with you some photos of the Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto. 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/180s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 3200 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/250s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 3200   

Samsung NX10 │ 1/125s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 3200 

This annual festival is one of the many popular festivals in Japan. Beforehand, a lot of people warned us that it would be very very crowded, but due to all of our big music festivals in Belgium, we felt prepared. 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/90s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/180s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/250s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/60s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/50s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/50s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/60s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/125s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

What we saw was something quite different though. The Japanese people who seemed (with all respect) quite modest, closed and calm turned into wild party animals during the consecutive celebration nights. 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/250s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/350s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/180s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/80s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/100s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/125s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

A lot of them dressed up, most of them in traditional kimono, but we bumped into a lot of silly costumes as well.

Samsung NX10 │ 1/320s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 3200 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/160s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 3200

Samsung NX10 │ 1/2s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 100

Samsung NX10 │ 1/250s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

The main attraction of the nights we visited seemed to be a group of Shinto followers carrying a mikoshi (a portable shrine) on their shoulders, jumping up and down and shouting. It created a very energetic atmosphere. 

Samsung NX10 │ 1/40s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/50s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/200s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 1600

Samsung NX10 │ 1/125s │ f2.0 │ 30mm │ ISO 3200

Despite the beautiful decorations, the streets were dark. Too dark for most cameras perhaps, so I didn’t have to think long which camera to bring. I took the NX10 because of its ISO 1600 and 3200 setting in combination with the pancake f2 lens. The results were a bit grainy, but after all these are high ISO values. In my opinion, this grain doesn’t bother and I like the quality, especially when you think of the size and weight of this camera. 

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such. All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung NX10, which has been provided by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. In order to become an official SamsungImaging.net blogger, please click here

Wedding with the NX10

 

NX10 l 1/1250s l 2.0F l ISO100 l aperture priority l 30mm

A few weeks ago, I was asked to shoot photos on a wedding ceremony and party. Together with my big DLSR, I decided to take the new compact Samsung NX10. I didn’t have it with me during the ceremony, but I took it as soon as we arrived at the reception on a cozy little boat. The advantage of the NX10 over DSLR cameras is the size. It’s much easier to carry around and it’s also a little bit more subtle. I took lots of photos with the NX10. Once you have it in your hand, it’s tempting to just snap away. I always leave the ISO setting on Auto, and use the A mode so I can choose what aperture I wants. The camera picks the right shutter speed for me. I’m not sure why, but I really love the shutter sound! The default camera colour calibration is very nice as well, the colours are remarkably colourful.

NX10 l 1/1000s l 2.0F l ISO100 l aperture priority l 30mm

NX10 l 1/1000s l 2.0F l ISO100 l aperture priority l 30mm

Since I wasn’t sure if I could just show everybody’s face online, I’ve decided to only attach anonymous photos with this article. In the first place, I picked photos that just show the atmosphere of the nice boat party. That’s the reason why there are so many drinks in the photos! On the other hand, I’ve cropped some photos so people’s faces are left out. With the 14.6 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, the NX10 allows me to make very small crops, where the quality is still really good. The photo below is one of those crops, and it only shows 12% of the original photo.

Amazing! Crops it, still good!

NX10 l 1/1000s l 2.0F l ISO100 l aperture priority l 30mm

NX10 l 1/1000s l 2.0F l ISO100 l aperture priority l 30mm

NX10 l 1/1250s l 2.0F l ISO100 l aperture priority l 30mm

NX10
l 1/15s l 2.0F l ISO800 l aperture priority l 30mm

NX10 l 1/20s l 2.0F l ISO400 l aperture priority l 30mm

NX10 l 1/1500s l 2.0F l ISO100 l aperture priority l 30mm

Another reason why I found the NX10 useful during this wedding was the option to make videos. They always say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a video must be worth a million!

# Short clip

Having a party under the lens NX10

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such. All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung NX10, which has been provided by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. In order to become an official SamsungImaging.net blogger, please click here

First night out with the NX10

 

NX10 l 1/15s l 2.0F l ISO480 l aperture priority l 30mm

In digital photography these days, I personally think low light situations are the real test for any new camera. To me, it’s not about the amount of megapixels, but the way it handles noise and the ability to use fast lenses are the real important aspect. The Samsung NX10 teams up with the fast 30mm ƒ/2 pancake lens and has an ISO range of up to 3200. That sounds like fun!

NX10 l 1/15s l 2.0F l ISO640 l aperture priority l 30mm

NX10 l 1/45s l 2.0F l ISO200 l aperture priority l 30mm

I took the NX10 and its tiny pancake lens out for the first time in the evening, in the lovely city of Ghent (Belgium). Along the way I took various photos, testing out the camera’s settings. I’m a big fan of the aperture priority setting on cameras, since it best defines how I want the photo to look. So all the shots you can see here are taken with that very setting. I actually used the Auto ISO setting a lot as well, something I found very handy. One thing less to worry about! Of course, on high ISO settings, the noise is very present, but it’s noise of a pleasant quality and it doesn’t bother me at all.

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such. All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung NX10, which has been provided by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. In order to become an official SamsungImaging.net blogger, please click here

NX10, Blue line along the focus ring very pleasant

Samsung Digital Imaging has provided the author of this review with the mentioned digital imaging device.

Hello, this is Nicholas from Belgium. This is my 1st blog post. I am going to make stories with NX10. It is about the nice design of the NX10 camera.

While everybody is talking about what’s under the hood of nowadays new cameras, the shell can be just as interesting. Let’s take a look at Samsung’s recent NX10.
The first thing that catches the eye is the size of this camera. Smaller than a DSLR, yet bigger than the occasional point and shoot camera. Combine this with the looks of a DSLR and you get a unique mix. With its compact design, the new NX10 is the perfect buddy to carry around on a trip and will surely turn some heads along the way. It’s recommended to use the neck strap or a wrist strap, but when you go for a short walk you might not even need those.

 

The body of the NX10 is very solid and the base shell has a speckled texture. This does not only look cool but it would also camouflage dirt or damage and provides some extra grip. Speaking of grip, the main right hand grip with a beautiful leather-like appearance feels comfortable and safe.
Because the body is so small and the grip is placed at a clever position, some buttons on the back of the camera have moved away from what may be seen as default positions on bigger DSLR cameras. After some practice however navigating feels good and the important buttons are easily accessible.

The real eye-catcher on the backside of the camera is of course the crispy and vivid 3 inch AMOLED display. Its brightness assures you will even see your subject on the sunniest days. Because of the large resolution, a lot of information can be displayed on the screen, if you want this.

The DC IN, HDMI, AV OUT and remote control sockets are all tucked away unnoticeable in the streamlined camera body. The same thing counts for the memory card and battery slot. In fact, the whole body seems free of any unnecessary curves or decorations, resulting in a clean and simple design.

A final interesting thing can be said about the NX lenses. Samsung used a subtle blue line along the focus ring which looks very pleasant. It also distinguishes the lenses from most other lenses around. In my opinion, Samsung should use its typical blue colour more often as it gives the brand a unique and recognizable look.

All photos, above, may not otherwise be reproduced, distributed, cropped, re sized, or otherwise altered without the written permission of the contributor. All photos represent the sole opinion of their individual authors and contributors and don’t express the opinion of Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd., Samsungimaging.net or the opinion of any affiliates unless specifically marked as such. All photos, above, have been shot with the Samsung NX10, which has been provided by Samsung Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. In order to become an official SamsungImaging.net blogger, please click here