Samsung NX200 review - Part 4 ISO tests

Here are my ISO tests. Camera tripod mounted, focal length set at 25mm, aperture at f/10.

Here are the out of camera jpgs. Exactly as they came out of the camera. High ISO Noise Reduction turned off.

Here are the raw files processed in Capture One using the default settings.

Below is one of the above raw files, taken at ISO 3200, and with my own noise reduction added in Photoshop.

As usual you can see high resolution versions of these files by clicking on them > flickr > Actions > View all sizes > Original.

Hopefully you can see why I described the Samsung approach to jpgs as "criminal". The raw conversions are really good. ISO 6400 and 12800 are pretty terrible, but then those settings are emergency only as far as I'm concerned. If that was my usual ISO setting then I would be using a completely different camera.

Up to ISO 3200 from raw, is pretty good as far as I'm concerned, and the raw file processed myself in Photoshop is perfectly acceptable.

I should mention that in terms of colour balance, the blues are off. The wall in the picture is a light cyan blue, and not the magenta tint that both the raw and jpg. fles have produced. This does seem to be a bias Samsung sensors have. Easily fixable in raw, but it is there.

So why do Samsung choose to destroy the detail in jpgs? To be honest they aren't really much different to other manufacturers, who seem paranoid about letting their jpgs reflect what their sensors are capable of.

In terms of the lower ISO's 100-800, I think the results are excellent. Actually I think they are better than that and are pretty damn good. I really didn't think from my experience with previous Samsung cameras that they would be this good. For my Landscape / Location uses at low ISO's, the files this camera produces are going to be really useful. 20MP and 57MB files capable of A3 reproduction is perfect for my picture library work. 

If only they had built a more useful camera around this great sensor!!!