SMGJohn

I spent a while reading and watching that Steve Yedlin Argument this inspired me to this experiment
So I was just messing around the other day and decided to shoot 1080p on my NX1 and found myself  Fiddling with the bitrate hack which I usually leave on 140-160 mbps  
Was curious so I started messing with the bit rates and typed in 400mbps and got denied kept dropping down in increments of 10 until it allowed 320mbps
I took it out shooting and the camera didn't skip a beat with audio + Autofocus with both S lenses. was shooting for around 40min and the only thing I could tell was when you pulled the SD card out right after shooting it was a bit a little warm.
I also Shot some 120fps @320mbps and it would only go about 30 sec before failing... I dropped it down to 300mbps and it recorded continuously I just stopped it after 3 min...
 
Perhaps its wishful thinking but I do "feel" the image is somewhat "thicker" is this basically like shooting 4k 160 and outputting to 1080 and rez up  4k again?  
 
First shot is the "Raw" File
Second shot is a Grade I was trying to make match/cut with this frame. ( I failed the shot is much more blue than mine)

 
Third shot is 120fps @320mbps played back @ 20% speed
 
 
I uploaded the bike shot Raw out of camera if you wish to mess with it. I have no pro scopes or calibrated monitor to see is there is any advantage to this let me know your thoughts and or findings (about 160mb)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0mz6D_bQOx7SFZSWnQyU1VINms/view?usp=sharing
 
 

You cannot compare these two, the NX1 wins hands down, its using Samsung famous autofocus technology they put in their smartphones.
What happens is that the NX1 focuses after eyes, its got some extremely intellectual computing going on were it focuses after eyes, I done some insane shit with this camera and I never lost focus that it did not recover from quickly.
 

You cannot compare these two, the NX1 wins hands down, its using Samsung famous autofocus technology they put in their smartphones.
What happens is that the NX1 focuses after eyes, its got some extremely intellectual computing going on were it focuses after eyes, I done some insane shit with this camera and I never lost focus that it did not recover from quickly.
 

Only thing I can find is this: https://github.com/ge0rg/samsung-nx-hacks
The NX3000 is apparently really hard to hack to begin with, and the service menu is locked away from what I read about it, what a shame really even the NX1000 you could access the service menu. 

Yes, its hard to predict the matter whether Samsung may reenter, but its a possibility and as I personally have seen, I have to disagree with people relaying on their smartphones, its become a new "trend" if you want to buy fancy big spec cameras it seems. 
And the Samsung NX Mini is a genius camera, I still see those around being used from time to time, frankly not everyone have the money to fork out for a top of the line smartphone just for the camera.
While Canon and Sony sales may be dwindling, compact small form factor cameras seem to be a hot selling and even the camera store in this tiny town of 20k people is selling them a lot, how much it is going in the bigger world I do not know but Samsung was LEADING the race with the best small form factor cameras from the NX1000 to the NX300.
Someone even hacked the NX3000 I think to shoot 1440p video, pretty amazing back then when only GH4 was the big 4k player in town. 

+100500
I've invested in all the best NX primes thinking to flavour 16-50S, plus i have Nikon mount Samyang 24mm/f1.4 and Samyang 16mm/f2.0. And you know what? I rarely use all the bunch, but 16-50S is almost there. Also i love little 16-50/3.5-5.6 power-zoom (which came with the camera). You would not believe, but it is the second run-and-gun lens i use - it is sharp, great AF (much-much better that any NX prime), OIS supports the video nicely...

The 16-50S is one of the main reasons staying with the mount. I can't think of any better overall lens for an APS-C sensor. Image Stabilization, good focus dampening (or whatever it's called), fast AF (fastest on the system at least), 2f for its wider focal lengths (almost prime territory really), dust/splash proof, good build quality, iFN function (I just put the ISO there) and relatively light (for such a lens) that goes from 24-75mm. Those few extra mm in the wide end is a huge thing for me. If you only have to own one NX lens, let be it.
I have a moderate collection of legacy lenses but I have replaced most with NX lenses.

I was in the same camp but I recently saw someone here post a link to an official statement announcing they are closing their entire digital camera division. It was a S.Korean publication. That being said, Samsung has a tendency to word things vaguely, and sometimes open-ended. This could be a factor of poor translation but as an American I have a hard time putting their statements into proper perspective.
The way the article was worded seemed like Samsung felt that they could no longer compete in this space because in their view, consumers were dropping DSLR, mirrorless, and point-and-shoot cameras in favor of smartphone camera technology. They even sighted Canon losing business in this metric too. While I agree these findings could be very possible among your average consumer, it sure leaves hobbyists and professionals out of the equation, and I feel that's very, very unfortunate, and way too reactive to the natural peaks and valleys of supply and demand.
The above being said, I personally suspect that if the market shifted Samsung will shift with it. I've seen this happen time and time again with most of their product offerings. Right now, they are hyper focused on their smartphone, VR, smart home and smart appliance technology. But there's nothing to say that this will always be the case in the foreseeable future. Look at Olympus and Fuji. Almost went into damn near obscurity and then low and behold we now have new offerings from them in the pro space.
What I find interesting is that Samsung still officially advertises their NX products AND continues to update their Camera Manager app. However camera and lens firmware updates have frozen for over a year now. I suppose these are low level efforts on Samsung's part. But is it a strategy to keep the door open with consumers should they decide to re enter the market?
This is why I put together the Keep Samsung NX Alive petition. It was in effort to demonstrate to Samsung that there IS still a demand for their NX cameras. Is 1,500 signatures in a span of almost 2 years enough of a demand for Samsung? I don't know. What I do know is that I tried like hell to reach the proper people in charge of that division and have not received and ounce of correspondence back. This could mean so many things, and with all the legal controversy at Samsung headquarters in recent years, it's very hard to read into it. I also know that if you read the almost 800 comments attached to the petition you quickly see a central theme. People love the shat out of the NX1/500 and Samsung's glass.
As Enna Park, a huge Samsung NX1 pro and all around great guy from South Korea once told me, "Samsung boss is a chicken heart".

I would just like to add an update to people still looking for batteries for the NX1 and NX500 or the BP1130 and the BP1900 batteries respectively.
The best third party ones that are still being made to these days and are in big quantity is the Ex-Pro brand. Genuine BP1130 batteries can still be sourced from eBay for a reasonable price but the NX1 you have Ex-Pro I highly recommend this brand as its even better than the original Samsung ones and higher capacity from 1900mAh vs 2660mAh Ex-Pro Elite
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ex-Pro-Samsung-BP1900-2260mAh-Li-x/dp/B00YEZ2XLG/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1500080577&sr=8-8&keywords=BP1900&th=1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Genuine-Original-Samsung-BP1130-Battery-For-NX200-NX210-NX2000-NX300-NX300M-/331534428837?hash=item4d30fdeaa5:g:PIYAAOSwEgVWTCr2

Yep, I was afraid of this very occurrence myself. So many NX1 pros I respect, and in some cases were responsible for turning me on to the NX1 jumped ship not long after Samsung sort of vanished. I still can't find an official statement from Samsung on closing the market in North America, if anyone has that please share it with me. I'm talking official statements from Samsung, not speculative articles. Their US based website STILL advertises most of their NX cameras, and lens lineup.
First it was the Sony A6300/6500 hype which honestly didn't last very long due to Sony's notorious overheating issues, which quickly reared it's ugly head. In a manner of weeks I saw very excited users reduced to pulling out their hair at the end of it. Now the new wave is all about the GH5 and Fuji. And although some features of the GH5 sounds absolutely tempting, at the end of the day it's m4/3 and that's a hard sell for me and my purposes. I need to do some more research on Fuji.
I've held on to my NX1 since I purchased the system in late 2014 and I'm happy I haven't fallen for the hype because I've witnessed a lot of people jumping ship, yet holding onto and still quietly using their NX1s to this day. I know it's serving my and my client's needs, and seem perfectly satisfied with it's output. I feel "if it's not broken, why fix it"?
I think generally, many of us are easily dazzled by the latest shiny gadgets, and these manufactures understand this. I believe the NX1 was an experiment on Samsung's part, a "one off" if you will, backed by their insane R&D powerhouse. I think generally Samsung has been a bit underestimated everywhere around the world besides South Korea, and definitely within the photo/video industry at the time of the NX500/1's debut. However, to my eyes they are one of the top companies leading the charge in innovation with the capitol to back it up 10-fold.
As big as Canon and Nikon are as household names in the photo/video industry, Samsung as a brand, and as a whole company towers over them and most others. It's not hard for me to understand how capable they are that they could release a camera in 2014 that stills holds up almost 4 years later. Nor is it a surprise to me how some have regretted selling their NX gear because of the fear of becoming obsolete and irrelevant, and the impulse to posses the latest badge of honor. Yet, even in the face of buying back into a seemingly dead system, they still want their NX gear back. That's a pretty strong testament. I hope when the next "NX1" comes along the industry takes it more seriously.  
I think in a couple years we're going to see something revolutionary and ahead of it's time, like the NX1, which I feel will actually justify buying into that new system. I just don't feel there's been that huge of a leap in features to price point in the current offerings. It's as if the technology curve has crept incrementally. That's not a stab at the GH5 or Fuji, or Sony and the rest. It's just a peek into value vs. cost. The NX1 has spoiled many of us in this regard. 
I don't know what you guys are talking about when you say you can find cheap deals on Samsung NX1 products. The prices I see online are almost doubled what they were when the camera was first released. I saw an S lens for roughly $3,000 USD on Amazon tonight. That certainly wasn't the retail price 3 years ago, it was much less if memory serves me right.
This is a recent article on the front page of this site: "Nikon struggling to match Samsung NX500 stills quality with 2 year head start".
For a reminder, this petition is still receiving signatures to this day, almost 2 years later:
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/samsung-keep-nx-alive
 
 

There are more people today taking pictures with a Samsung camera than with a Nikon. Fact.

I been humouring the idea whether we should start a fundraiser/kickstarter to get enough money to hire really good developers who could develop a new firmware for this camera. 

I been humouring the idea whether we should start a fundraiser/kickstarter to get enough money to hire really good developers who could develop a new firmware for this camera. 

I would just like to add an update to people still looking for batteries for the NX1 and NX500 or the BP1130 and the BP1900 batteries respectively.
The best third party ones that are still being made to these days and are in big quantity is the Ex-Pro brand. Genuine BP1130 batteries can still be sourced from eBay for a reasonable price but the NX1 you have Ex-Pro I highly recommend this brand as its even better than the original Samsung ones and higher capacity from 1900mAh vs 2660mAh Ex-Pro Elite
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ex-Pro-Samsung-BP1900-2260mAh-Li-x/dp/B00YEZ2XLG/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1500080577&sr=8-8&keywords=BP1900&th=1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Genuine-Original-Samsung-BP1130-Battery-For-NX200-NX210-NX2000-NX300-NX300M-/331534428837?hash=item4d30fdeaa5:g:PIYAAOSwEgVWTCr2

Sometimes you just do not know how good hardware you have until you gotten rid of it. 
I have yet to see any camera with the same price tag of the NX1 that has hardware to match, none. Sony A7sII and the A7rII are twice the price tag the NX1 was, these cameras still lack in consistency whereas the NX1 got it right and even Samsung willing to update the camera. There still third party manufacturers out there still making batteries, adapters and whatnot. Amazing really, you can still find brand new lenses for half the price on the internet, I just bought the 12-24mm, its brilliant! Sure its not F2.8 but it gets the job done and quality is there, I have a hard time finding Nikkor or Cannon glass equally good for the same price.

I been humouring the idea whether we should start a fundraiser/kickstarter to get enough money to hire really good developers who could develop a new firmware for this camera. 

I think it is a processor data processing problem.
It's a pity not to have a working team like magic lantern on Samsung NX! ...

These days I wanted to test the maximum bitrates with hack NX/KS.
I've found that to get the maximum bitrates you need to turn off all the functions that require memory and cpu:
So if I turn off bluetooth, all the automatic functions, and close the display by going on EVF can go up to 220Mbit/s without interruption and up to 240Mbit/s for about a minute.
The benefit that is obtained is that the macroblochin is reduced in size, transforming itself from small squares into a noise-like grain.
What I think is that if the hack could turn off the display and the EVF being recorded, the NX1 could go over 250Mbit/s without any recording time limit.

So many ppl don't understand how good the NX1 is and are taken over by the "frenzy" of selling it due to Samsung's quitting.
IMO the NX1 should be preserved as the best hybrid available, even after almost 3 years.

@SMGJohn
Full ACK...The sovjet directors were artists, completely focusing the core assets of their films to make. No lunatic pixel whores and gear heads out there...The sovjet film is all about content and expression and not about pampered "gadgetized" guys. The sovjet cameras were NOT half-baked, unfinished plastic garbage like contemporary Sony Axyz, they were made to hold up. Not filigree but rugged, to be beaten up some years (or even decades) to death. A kind of "filming russian tanks". Poverty and deficits are sometimes a real catalyst for putting ideas into art. Luxury plastic gadgets destroy fantasy and lead to consumism and GAS...
And never forget: At the great era of sovjet film, there were only a few famous and respected sovjet directors - even internationally. Nowadays every guy can call himself a director, but - despite social media and nowadays possibilities and low gear pricing - there are NO MORE famous & respected DOPs, compared to 30 years ago...

I am super impressed with what Luca has done with the NXL.
He's sent me one for review!
It is super sharp and cinematic. Has the full frame look completely. Trying it with the Canon 35mm F2.0L IS but will also use it with the 50mm F1.2L... Big low light boost to the NX1!

You're in luck mate, looks like the gen2 is just finished and available from the creator (luca) here:
https://m.facebook.com/NXL-284084538620105/

Grain is super fine on the NX500 on higher than 1600 ISO specially in 4k and 1440p.
But above 3200 ISO there so much grain noise that its unusable image specially because the grain is white so its impossible to remove with noise reduction tools.

Years later and still in top ten? (#9) and rated better than a $7k+ Leica? (this is a money is no object rating any price criteria)
 Im sure it would be higher in sub $1500 rankings and this is mid 2017 after all the big boys have blown their load of new cams.   Fake News??
http://cameradecision.com/lists2/Top-Rated-cameras
 

 

Master black levels are only useful if you want good straight out the camera images, its pointless to use this with GammaDR as it wont provide any dynamic range improvements.
Crushing blacks might be good for aesthetics reasons, these systems shoot superb colours out the box and the fact you can tweak them to your liking is a really good thing and I think Samsung did a really well job with this I still want LOG though but yeah avoid if you just shoot flat as its mostly for aesthetics reasons. 
Check here for some epic results:
I been experimenting a lot with the colour profiles in the NX1 and NX500 but I been too lazy to edit the videos together and published them on YouTube.
I got a really good footage of a terrible housefire this winter using in-camera colours.