Samsung enters digital SLR market with 6 megapixel GX-1S

It was just a matter of time before Samsung entered the prosumer and professional SLR marketplace and it has been known for some time that the Korean giant has been collaborating with Pentax. So no-one is surprised that the first Samsung offering is a rebadged Pentax *ist. Accordingly, the Samsung GX-1S weighs in with a 6.1 megapixel CCD, 2.5 inch rear screen, ISO levels up to 3200, 2.8 fps burst mode, USB 2.0 and an SD card slot and is Pentax Lens compatible. It will come as a body-only or with a new 18-55 Schneider D-XENON lens. No pricing info yet, but you can expect a price in the sub-US$700 area, given that it probably won’t be much different to the Pentax offerin’s price.

“Through this partnership, and the GX-1S introduction, we have an opportunity to make an immediate impact in the DSLR space and dramatically expand the range of options available to consumers under the Samsung Brand,” says Ken Gerb, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Samsung Camera. “The GX-1S includes features that the consumer has demanded in the competitive digital camera market including a large, 2.5-inch LCD and the ability to interchangeably use Schneider and Pentax lenses for superb image clarity.”

The GX-1S features high-precision, 16 segment multi-pattern metering to assure accurate light measurement in addition to center-weighted metering and spot metering for more advanced applications. To provide accurate focusing on a variety of subjects the GX_1S incorporates a sophisticated 11-point AF sensor and a choice of AF_single or AF-continuous for a wide variety of options. For further image control, users can chose from several White Balance settings and a variety of automatic shooting modes such as Portrait, Landscape, Moving Object, Macro and more.

Developed specifically for use with the Samsung GX-1S is the Schneider D-XENON 18mm-55mm lens. Schnieder optics have long been a defining feature of Samsung’s high-end digital still camera models, and the GX-1S is no exception. The GX-1S will be available as a body only, or bundled with the D-XENON lens as a kit. For added convenience the GX-1S can be used with many Pentax DSLR lens and KAF2 and KAF mount lenses. The Samsung GX-1S includes a high-speed consecutive shooting mode of up to 2.8 frames per second up to eight frames in JPEG shooting and up to five frames per second when shooting in Raw Mode, allowing the user to capture a series of the subject’s action or movement.

Designed to enable easy viewing of images in all lighting conditions, the GX_1S features a large, 2.5-inch LCD monitor and a bright, high-magnification pentaprism viewfinder offering a 95-percent field view and .95-times magnification.

An ideal solution for picture-taking on-the-go, the Samsung GX-1S has a compact design measuring 4.9 x 3.6 x 2.6-inches and weighs 17.8-ounces

The user-friendly model takes full advantage of the large LCD monitor with a convenient and informative in-camera guidance system that provides a detailed explanation of shooting, flash modes and White Balance settings.

The Samsung GX-1S can be powered by four AA-size Lithium, Ni-MH or CR-V3 batteries.