Now it’s official: Samsung today announced their new NX series of so-called bridge cameras (bridge, because it’s supposed to be between DSLRs and compact point-and-shoots; they’re also called ‘hybrids’). The announcement was made in time for the opening of PMA 2009 tomorrow, March 3 in Las Vegas, USA.
The Samsung NX series touts performance and image quality of a DSLR and the portability and convenience of a compact point-and-shoot. They used a legitimate APS-C sized DSLR image sensor but took out the mirror box of a DSLR and replaced it with an electronic viewfinder. The result: a camera that’s 60% smaller and lighter than the usual DSLR.
The ability to use interchangeable DSLR lenses and its compact size brings the Samsung NX series directly in a head-to-head turf war with the Micro Four Thirds format pioneered by Olympus and Panasonic.
Samsung said the new NX Series bridges the gap between a DSLR and compact point-and-shoot digital camera by combining the benefits of both in one new model. The first model of the NX series will be available in the second-half of 2009.
[Site: Samsung Camera]