What does it mean for Samsung?

The Samsung NX system of interchangeable lens cameras is actually pretty good. In fact the NX300 is a corker, having ironed out most of the issues we had with its predecessors (such as slow AF and processing times). The iFunction interface is one of the finest on the market, and the image quality is up there with the best. The lenses are not to be sniffed at either.

But lets face it, there hasn’t exactly been a queue of customers beating down Samsung’s door to buy one. They’re not that easy to find, for a start. It seems the Samsung brand doesn’t resonate that well with the enthusiast audience and, to be frank, the NX system hasn’t offered much that isn’t also offered by the more established photo brands.

But the Galaxy NX changes all that. It brings something to the table than none of its CSC rivals can touch. It may not get a lot of love from the older, traditional camera club crowd (in fact they’re likely to hate it) but for the younger, social media generation who have caught the photography bug and want to invest in something more serious the Galaxy NX will be like catnip. As such it could well inspire the next generation of interchangeable lens photographers.

The Galaxy NX could signal the end of Samsung’s attempts to take on the likes of Canon and Nikon at their own game, and instead focus on starting up a new game of its one, one which the traditional camera brands have little to no chance of winning. It’s a worrying prospect for the old guard, not in the short term but in the longer term.

At the moment millions crave the latest Galaxy phones, but nobody really aspires to own a Samsung DSLR/CSC, even those who end up buying one. But when my own kids, and their classmates, are old enough to earn their own money and want to get into serious creative photography, which is the interchangeable lens camera that’s going to catch their eye? My bet is that it’s going to be something with a massive screen on the back that looks not unlike the Samsung Galaxy NX.