Hands on with the Samsung NX100

At Photokina 2010, Samsung showed off its latest interchangeable lens compact, the NX100. We've poked and prodded it from most angles for your viewing pleasure.

Following on from the NX10, this camera shares a few common features like its image sensor and 3-inch AMOLED screen. The NX100 though is styled from inspiration of a dew drop forming on a leaf. Make of that what you will, but the NX100 is definitely more of a looker than the dSLR-styled NX10.

Alexandra Savvides attended Photokina 2010 as a guest of Samsung.

Mother Nature inspires many things in the hearts and minds of product designers, and the latest to take up the source is the NX100. Its curved form and shutter button arrangement (pictured later) all come from the simple premise of a dew drop forming on a leaf. Needless to say, don't try getting this camera wet, despite its origins.

Like the NX10 before it, this camera has a 3-inch AMOLED screen, which in use is simply gorgeous to look at. At the back too you will find most regular shooting controls, all laid out in a similar configuration found on compact cameras. Pictured here is the white model, which we're hoping will make its way to Australia when the camera is released in October.

No, it's not a "me too" grab at the Apple phenomenon, it's a new feature on NX-system lenses from now on. A button on the lens itself serves as a one-stop shop for all common shooting functions, like aperture, shutter and ISO. Press the button to adjust each parameter on the fly, changing its value by using the manual focus ring on the lens.

As mentioned earlier, the NX100 is inspired by dew. It's most obvious when looking at the camera top-down, with the curvy top panel and shutter button making their entrance.

Here is one of the visual prompts given on the screen after pressing the button on the lens.

Gadget fetishists take note: this is what each component of the NX100 looks like.

Like any interchangeable camera worth its salt, the NX10 has a range of connectivity options, including HDMI out.

Also at the company's 2010 Photokina stand were a range of customised NX100 cameras.

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that bling?

The GPS unit that attaches to the NX100 to geotag photos with location data. It runs on AAA batteries.

An overview of most of the accessories and lenses for the NX cameras.