Samsung NX500 Review

In my previous post, I posited that the Samsung NX500 may be the camera that brings Samsung NX to the mainstream.  In this post, I present a preliminary review of the Samsung NX500.  I am evaluating it based on usage for shooting candid photos, not so much for professional use.  I'm comparing it primarily with the Sony a6000, which won DPReview's 2014 poll for Best Consumer Interchangeable Lens Camera by a landslide.

In this preliminary review, I will be discussing the following topics:

•Handling

•Menus

•Exposure

•Autofocus

•Manual focus

•Performance/Responsiveness

•Image quality

•Flash/Lighting

•Video

Please note my evaluation is based primarily on the kit lens, and based on having used the NX500 for about 4 weeks.  I will post reviews of other lenses separately.  Unless otherwise specified, the NX500 samples here are from raw, converted in Samsung DNG Converter or Lightroom 6, with minimal adjustments, so they are representative of what you can readily get from the camera.  (Product shots are from the Olympus Stylus 1.)

6/30/15 UPDATE: Firmware v. 1.10 significantly improved the NX500's performance in several important ways.  I revised this review to note these changes, highlighted in yellow.

1/12/16 UPDATE: Added info re DMF mode and MF Responsiveness.