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Samsung NX500

 
Samsung NX500 front
 
  • 28MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600 (Increase to 51200)
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/6000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Samsung NX Mount
  • 287g - 120 x 64 x 43mm
  • Released February 2015
  • Superseded the Samsung NX300
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Lenses
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
87
Imaging
68
Features
80
Overall
72

Samsung NX500 summary

Samsung NX500 is Samsung's Entry-Level Mirrorless digital camera initially announced on February of 2015. It uses a 28 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS APS-C sized sensor and has a full resolution of 6480 x 4320.

Samsung released this model in order to replace the previous Samsung NX300 (Read Full Comparison)

The NX500 places at #20 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras and overall #144 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please try out our Smart camera search to get camera rankings based on your personal requirements.

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Below is a diagram of various factors used in the rating system.

Samsung NX500 history

The Samsung NX500 is part of a family of cameras. You can view the detailed range below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Samsung-NX500 front thumbnailSamsung NX50028MPAPS-C9.0 fps2015
Samsung-NX3000 front thumbnailSamsung NX3000
NX500 vs NX3000
20MPAPS-C5.0 fps2014
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Samsung-NX2000 front thumbnailSamsung NX2000
NX500 vs NX2000
20MPAPS-C8.0 fps2013
Samsung-NX300 front thumbnailSamsung NX300
NX500 vs NX300
20MPAPS-C9.0 fps2013
Samsung-NX1100 front thumbnailSamsung NX1100
NX500 vs NX1100
20MPAPS-C8.0 fps2013
Samsung-NX300M front thumbnailSamsung NX300M
NX500 vs NX300M
20MPAPS-C9.0 fps2013
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Samsung-NX210 front thumbnailSamsung NX210
NX500 vs NX210
20MPAPS-C8.0 fps2012

Samsung NX500 Pros and Cons

Below is a selection of advantages and drawbacks of the Samsung NX500 based on criterias that are often regarded as crucial in a digital camera.

above average ISO range (25,600)
above average minimum ISO (100)
change lenses (Samsung NX mount)
comes with HDMI socket
delivers RAW formats
does not have anti-alias filter
features face detection focus
features tracking autofocus
good video quality (4096 x 2160 pxls)
high shutter speed (1/6,000s)
manual focus
NFC support
screen has good resolution (1,036 k dots)
screen is touchscreen
screen size is good (3")
screen tilts up and down
sensor resolution is high (28 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
supports bluetooth
supports phase detect auto focus
supports touch to focus
does not have external microphone socket
does not have headphone socket
does not have image stabilization
does not posses selfie friendly screen
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Samsung NX500 Sensor details

The Samsung NX500 is powered by the DRIMe 5 chip. The sensor size in the Samsung NX500 is 23.5mm x 15.7mm (APS-C). The 369 mm² sensor is able to capture 6480 x 4320 pixels and aspect ratios of 1:1, 3:2 and 16:9.

Photography Glossary

The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 28 megapixels and supports a standard ISO range of 100 - 25600. This ISO can also be widened digitally to a high of 51200. RAW photos are supported therefore you have wider room to maneuver in post.

Samsung made the decision to skip the anti-alias filter in the Samsung NX500. This can result in more clear photos but could cause moire under certain conditions.

The graphic below illustrates the NX500's sensor dimensions in comparison to other popular sizes. The NX500 sensor comes with a crop factor of 1.5 and is outlined in green.

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To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Samsung NX500 dimensions

Samsung NX500 has a weight of 0.63 lb (287 gr or 10.12 ounces) and the volume of the camera is 120mm x 64mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.5" x 1.7"). The weight of average Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 gr so the Samsung NX500 is less heavy in comparison with various rivals.

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Below is a pic of the Samsung NX500 alongside a soft drink so you can have a feel for its scale.

Samsung NX500 dimensions scale

The top view below will show you the button design on the NX500.

Samsung NX500 topview buttons dials

Samsung NX500 Lens specs

The NX500 fits the Samsung NX mount and has 34 lenses available on the market. Below is some of the lenses we have in our database which will work with the NX500.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Rokinon-85mm-F1.4-Samsung-NX lensRokinon 85mm F1.485mmf/1.4 539g
Samyang-35mm-F1.4-AS-UMC-Samsung-NX lensSamyang 35mm F1.4 AS UMC35mmf/1.4 660g
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Samsung-NX-30mm-F2-Pancake lensSamsung NX 30mm F2 Pancake30mmf/2.0 85g
Samyang-24mm-f1.4-ED-AS-UMC-Samsung-NX lensSamyang 24mm f1.4 ED AS UMC24mmf/1.4 580g
Samsung-NX-60mm-F2.8-Macro-ED-OIS-SSA lensSamsung NX 60mm F2.8 Macro ED OIS SSA60mmf/2.8 389g
Samyang-85mm-F1.4-Aspherical-IF-Samsung-NX lensSamyang 85mm F1.4 Aspherical IF85mmf/1.4 539g
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Samsung-NX-12-24mm-F4-5.6-ED lensSamsung NX 12-24mm F4-5.6 ED19-37mmf/4.0-5.6 208g
Photography Glossary

Samsung NX500 Connectivity

The NX500 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • Bluetooth Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that include NFC and Bluetooth support can easily be used wirelessly with smartphones. You will be able to send images and at times adjust camera settings without connecting straight to the camera.

Several applications even give a Liveview and release the shutter whenever you are not close to the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI out, it could be connected to an external monitor. Most cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack through the USB port.

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Samsung NX500 Video specs

The highest possible video resolution in the Samsung NX500 is 4096 x 2160 and it can shoot in H.265 file format. 2160p provides an exceptional resolution for video. You can easily crop to 1080p in order to get improved video. Be mindful of the substantial file sizes and ensure you have got good SD cards that have fast write speeds. The camera does not offer a mic and headphone port which means that you get little control over your sound. It is probably best to have a look at another camera in case you need good sound in your videos.

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Samsung NX500 Weather Sealing

There is no environment proofing for the Samsung NX500 so you need to be careful in rainy or dusty situations.

Samsung NX500 Screen and Viewfinder

The Samsung NX500 houses a 3" tilting display supporting a resolution of 1,036k dots.

Moreover the display is touch friendly which means you can easily change focus point as well as change settings using your fingers.

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The View Finder specifications regarding Samsung NX500 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be rather beneficial during bright outdoor situations which can easily make the camera screen washed out and hard to view.

Samsung NX500 Shutter specs

Samsung NX500 continuous shooting speed is 9.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/6000 sec.

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Samsung NX500 Flash and Hot shoe specs

Samsung NX500 includes external flash support but does not include built-in flash.

Samsung NX500 Autofocusing specs

Samsung NX500 includes both Phase Detect Auto Focus along with Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster and accurate in comparison with Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera boasts Face detection which makes it handy for portrait photography.

It boasts 209 focus points to choose from. Samsung NX500 has touch to focus. You are able to use your fingers in order to change where you focus. It also includes Tracking Auto Focus for things on the move. Samsung NX500 boasts manual focusing when needed during low light conditions or you want more accurate control on focusing.

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Samsung NX500 Battery life

The battery life (BP1130) for the Samsung NX500 is designed to last for 370 pictures based on the CIPA requirements making it on par with its rivals. The average Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 features the best (750) battery life within this group of cameras.

Below is a listing of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras having the strongest battery life:

Samsung NX500 for various forms of photography

The following graph indicates a rundown of the Samsung NX500 for various forms of photography. To look at more, go to the specific paragraph below.

Samsung NX500 Portrait photography info

The Samsung NX500 has a points total of 80 which is terrific, meaning that it is a great choice to use for portraits. Photographing portraits favors heavily to sensor resolution, RAW support and capability to utilize external lighting.

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focusing manually
high sensor resolution (28 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
provides face detect focusing
exports RAW files

Samsung NX500 Street photography highlights

Coming in at a impressive score of 81, the Samsung NX500 is a wonderful choice to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of image quality and portability.

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screen tilts
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
supports focus via touch
good high ISO (25,600)
lack of image stabilization

Samsung NX500 Sports photography factors

A nice sports photography points total of 75 means the Samsung NX500 is a very decent choice for photographing sports. A camera must have fantastic focusing plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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great max shutter speed (1/6,000 seconds)
sensor resolution is great (28 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
includes tracking autofocus
comes with phase detect auto focus
lack of image stabilization

Samsung NX500 Travel photography advice

Portability is very important in choosing a camera for travel. On the whole, the Samsung NX500 gets a fantastic 78 for a travel camera which makes it a fantastic fit to purchase for your travels.

Photography Glossary
supports bluetooth
provides touch to focus
high resolution (28 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly

Samsung NX500 Landscape photography info

If you are planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most essential factor is going to be image quality. The Samsung NX500 with it's wonderful grade of 80 for a landscape camera is a wonderful pick in the current marketplace.

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focusing manually
change lenses (Samsung NX mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
amazing MP (28 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
does not have low pass filter
very good high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW files
does not have image stabilization

Vlogging with Samsung NX500

A camera for vlogging preferably should come with a articulating display, microphone port and if possible IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Samsung NX500 is not really appropriate as a vlog camera as it comes to a subpar score of 34.

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touchscreen functionality
provides face detection autofocus
good video quality (4096 x 2160 pixels)
does not contain selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
missing external mic jack

Samsung NX500 Alternatives

If you are shopping for replacements to the NX500, here is a collection of the top scored cameras which fall under the family of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The chart followed below gives you a summary of the NX500 compared to it's top ranked rivals shown above.

Here are a few more cameras you might take into account as alternate options. To see a extensive comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Company
Samsung
Model type
Samsung NX500
Class
Entry-Level Mirrorless
Released
2015-02-06
Physical type
Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Chip
DRIMe 5
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor measurements
23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor area
369.0mm²
Sensor resolution
28 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution
6480 x 4320
RAW images
Highest native ISO
25600
Highest enhanced ISO
51200
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points
209
Lens
Lens mount type
Samsung NX
Amount of lenses
32
Crop factor
1.5
Screen
Screen type
Tilting
Screen size
3"
Screen resolution
1,036k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
87
DXO Color Depth rating
24.8
DXO Dynamic range rating
13.9
DXO Low light rating
1379
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed
1/6000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate
9.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
no built-in flash
Flash modes
Smart flash, auto, auto w/redeye reduction, fill flash, fill w/redeye reduction, 1st-curtain, 2nd-curtain, off
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
3840 x 2160 (30p), 4096 x 2160 (24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720, 640 x 480
Highest video resolution
4096x2160
Video format
H.265
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
287 grams (0.63 pounds)
Dimensions
120 x 64 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.5" x 1.7")
Other
Battery life
370 pictures
Form of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
BP1130
Self timer
Yes (2 - 30 secs)
Time lapse feature
Storage type
SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots
1
Launch pricing
$800