Samsung unveils slim-and-light NX mini, a mirrorless camera for selfie junkies

Samsung has unveiled what it claims to be the world’s lightest and slimmest mirrorless interchangeable lens camera - the NX mini. It weighs a mere 158 grams and is 22.5mm thick, making it easy to slip into your pocket or any small bag. It comes with a faux leather finish and is available in five colours.

It will be launched with two lenses: a 9-27mm zoom F3.5-5.6 OIS zoom (equivalent to 24-73mm) and 9mm F3.5 pancake (equivalent to 24mm). A third lens, 17mm F1.8 OIS lens (equivalent to 45mm) is expected to come in a few months. Samsung NX mini will start selling from April at an MRP of $449 (approx Rs 27,500) with the 9mm NX-M lens or $549 (approx Rs 33,500) with the 9-27mm lens. The 9mm and 9-27mm NX-M lenses will retail for $179 (Rs 11,000 approx) and $279 (Rs 17,000) respectively.

The NX mini comes with a 20.5MP 1-inch type BSI-CMOS sensor which uses the NX-M mount having a 2.7x crop factor. The native ISO range goes from 160-12800 (and can extend upto 25600). The NX mini is capable of shooting in JPEG as well as RAW formats.

The main USP of the NX mini is its 180 degree flip-up 3-inch touchscreen LCD which allows selfie-enthusiasts to frame themselves best. With the 9mm lens snapped on (24mm equivalent), you can even take group selfies at an arms length. To further enhance the experience, Samsung have added a Wink shot feature, which allows you to trigger the shutter simply by winking at the camera.

The NX mini comes with a 6 fps continuous shot mode and has a 1/16000th sec fast shutter speed. Considering the NX mini belongs to the SMART line of Samsung cameras, Wi-fi and NFC integration is a given. You can select and transfer multiple images via the Mobile Link, send images to upto four devices using Group Share, controlling the NX mini with the Remote View Finder Pro app and use the camera as a Baby Monitor.

Myoung Sup Han, Executive Vice President and Head of Imaging Business at Samsung, said “Samsung introduced the first flip up touch display camera in 2011 as a leader of the selfie trend, and has designed the device in response to evolving consumer demands. This approach is exemplified by the NX mini, with features such as a 3.0-inch Flip up Display and wide angle lens exclusively designed to address the global passion for selfies.”