Samsung EX1 – 1 month onwards

It’s been a month since I bought this toy. In light of the launch of new serious compacts, notably the Panasonic LX5 and the Canon S95, how do I feel about the EX1?

Advantages:

1. RAW image quality. Since the launch of Lightroom 3.2 RC (and eventually LR3.2) the quality of the raw files never fail to impress me. This camera has an amazing ability to retain shadow details. Nowadays I tend to expose for the highlights, and recover the shadows in post:

The example above is typical of what i’ll do for a scene with a large dynamic range. There will be some noise no doubt, but insignificant unless I print huge.

2. High ISO performance. This is one of the best compact sensors optimized for low light shooting. I have doubts the LX5 can beat this significantly.

The above is an image shot at ISO400, and an ISO800 shot below. The detail preservation is still very satisfactory.

 

3. Fun with Infrared. The convenience of framing your shot with an infrared filter over the lens encourages me to explore this field of photography. It would be even more fun should lightroom allow a broader WB latitude to process IR raw files..

 

4. Swivel LCD. Sneaky cam for street shots. Virtually silent when shooting too!

Disadvantages:

1. Poor OIS. I’m used to the OIS from Panasonic and Canon, and the one in the EX1 is clearly not as good. Shooting below 1/15 (even at 24mm) is going to be a hit and miss issue.

2. Focus accuracy needs improvement. In low light, due to the comparatively smaller DOF of the F1.8 lens, there’s a tendency for the camera to miss-focus.

3. Colours in IR are rather muted, compared to the D70.

4. Custom modes please… The LX5 has 2, and the S95 has 1. Nothing on the EX1.

 

Tips and tricks for existing users (from my own experience):

I usually leave the camera in auto ISO (which caps at ISO400). In bright light, I’ll use P mode unless i want more specific control. Indoors or at night, I’ll switch to the “dual IS” mode, which just sets a higher auto ISO threshold of ISO800 instead.

Quality = RAW, and focus = selective all the time. Exposure is controlled using EV compensation and A-EL.

Verdict

Oh.. and in case you’re wondering, it’s still the EX1 for me. The LX5 may be sweet (and very handsome looking), but there is no swiveling LCD, which is a big deal to me.