Samsung NX10 Gains i-Function Lens Support

Samsung's NX100 was more than just a camera announcement for the company, it was also a lens announcement. The NX100 is the company's first interchangeable lens camera that supports a new "i-Function" lens family. This new lens has a small button on the side of it as well as a control dial; users can press a button while shuffling the dial in order to control manual settings like aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and the like.


But having these i-Function lenses work exclusively on the NX100 doesn't provide a very large user base for Samsung. So, the company is enabling their earlier interchangeable lens camera, the NX10, to work with this new lens family. A new firmware update, which has posted today on the company's website, takes the camera to version 1.20. This new update provides the necessary software for the NX10 to support the i-Function lenses.

An old camera learning new tricks? We'll take that!

SAMSUNG INTEGRATES PIONEERING i-FUNCTION LENS TECHNOLOGY FOR FULL NX RANGE

Firmware Upgrade for NX10 Gives Users the Perfect Picture at Their Fingertips

Ridgefield Park, NJ (October 11, 2010) – Samsung Electronics. Co. Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technology, today announced a firmware upgrade for its NX10 mirrorless camera that will ensure compatibility with Samsung's innovative new i-Function lens technology, putting the perfect picture at the fingertips of all photographers through an exceptionally easy way of controlling the camera. The new firmware for the NX10 is version 1.20.

Users of the NX10 camera will now have the power to control the camera's settings conveniently and intuitively from the lens itself, something not possible on other camera lines. While conventional lenses are passive in controlling camera settings, the unique i-Function Lens is a proactive lens that communicates with the camera body. The NX10 will now also deliver total image control with a remarkably easy way to control camera settings to ensure quick image capturing, and also provide customized settings optimized for the lens being used.

To guarantee photographers capture their perfect picture and engage with their shots, all NX system lenses launched from now on will feature the i-Function capability, which is a convenient one-touch button that activates common shooting controls like aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance, meaning easier and quicker configuration while shooting. When the button is pressed, the shooting parameter is shown on screen with a graphical cue and rotating the manual focus ring on the lens changes the value. The firmware upgrade also provides a faster AF speed on the camera, which ensures that users never miss that perfect moment.

The NX system firmware upgrade provides compatibility with a range of innovative lenses and accessories to further enhance the user's experience. The lens line-up available to NX10 users will also include a compact zoom 20-50mm lens to provide both high image quality and portability and a small and light 20mm wide angle Pancake lens, with the updated Graphic User Interface (GUI) to support the i-Function lens technology. The enhanced lens capability will include Lens Distortion Compensation (LDC) to ensure reduced image distortion across the NX model range for all camera users.

Additionally, the GPS tracker enables photographers to capture their exact geographical location in real time. The models will provide camera users with the ability to geotag their special picture moments when capturing images with the GPS tracker, specifically tagging the coordinates and city name. The city names can be displayed across 76 countries and the display capability includes the name of the city directly on the screen, which means that users can now sort their images by location.

"We want to ensure that all NX system range users can experience the same pioneering technology," said Mr. SangJin Park, President of Samsung Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. "All NX system lenses launched from now on will feature the groundbreaking i-Function capability, so all our customers have the perfect picture at their fingertips. Our unique i-Function Lens technology is the first of its kind and is another example of our unparalleled innovation which will appeal to every photographer – whether they are a beginner or an enthusiast."

More information on the firmware is available at:
http://www.samsung.com