Samsung NX1 firmware update wishlist

[kidzrevil]

Hey I'm putting together a wishlist of things I would like to see updated in the NX1 or carried over to an NX2 (if that is in the works) in hopes that Samsung will answer our prayers. The NX1 has been a phenomenal camera for video but it falls short in a couple of areas that most likely can be fixed via firmware update

1) higher bitrates : raise the bitrate for PRO quality to 100-200 mbs. The NX1 supports UHS-II memory so there should be nothing stopping it from getting all that data to the card in the name of better compression

2) macroblocking : FIX the macroblocking issue in deep shadows, high iso's and in the blue color channel. Possibly a higher bitrate can fix this

3) absolute zero noise reduction & sharpness options : gives us the freedom to totally disable noise reduction and or in camera sharpness ! The noise reduction could be the main culprit behind the banding.

4) faster sensor readout to minimize rolling shutter

5) better cropmarks : gives us the ability to use black borders for 2:35:1 framing instead of those thin lines used for the rule of thirds grid option.

 

these are my top 5 requests. Lets see if we can get more in here and hopefully Samsung see's this and addresses these issues !

 

 

 

[Geoff CB]

1) 4K center of sensor readout, for a reduced rolling shutter option for 4K. Hell this is technically already in the camera with DIS, just keep that crop!

2) Samsung's own flat profile. No messing around to find the ideal, have the engineers make one. No noise reduction in this mode. 

Agree with your macroblocking, but I think a Samsung created flat profile it would fix the issue. Also wouldn't mind the 200 bitrate option for only certain cards. 

[Dean]

Great suggestions ... I'd like to see these if there is ever another FW update or an NX2

1) Ability to use AF-S in Video ... move the focus point around where ever you want and it stays there instead of going to AF-C when you press record

2) Choose anywhere in the screen to magnify in MF mode instead of just the centre

3) Peaking to stay on all the time

4) Ability to change between EVF and LCD during recording

[kidzrevil]

1) 4K center of sensor readout, for a reduced rolling shutter option for 4K. Hell this is technically already in the camera with DIS, just keep that crop!

2) Samsung's own flat profile. No messing around to find the ideal, have the engineers make one. No noise reduction in this mode. 

Agree with your macroblocking, but I think a Samsung created flat profile it would fix the issue. Also wouldn't mind the 200 bitrate option for only certain cards. 

totally agree with #2 ! A Samsung LOG would be the closest we can get to RAW performance or simply just better highlight handling

Great suggestions ... I'd like to see these if there is ever another FW update or an NX2

1) Ability to use AF-S in Video ... move the focus point around where ever you want and it stays there instead of going to AF-C when you press record

2) Choose anywhere in the screen to magnify in MF mode instead of just the centre

3) Peaking to stay on all the time

4) Ability to change between EVF and LCD during recording

3) peaking on all the time & 2) choosing anywhere to view critical manual focus is much needed

[shanebrutal]

All great suggestions. Dean nailed my idea's for video mode. I'd also love the ability to have selectable video mode presets. Like a custom mode you could save settings to and switch between 24p and 120p for example. Like I used to easily do on the gh4 lol. Video mode kind of needs an overhaul. Its rather an afterthought on the nx1.

[tugela]

Bit rate maximum is likely determined in hardware, so it can't really be increased over what the maximum currently is.

And in any case, the maximum bit rate conforms to what Samsung's H.265 TV decoders can handle, which is a maximum of 80 mbps. Probably they use the same logic in both the camera and television sets.

Macroblocking in areas of low contrast detail in highly detailed scenes is a function of the codec and bit rate in combination with the very high resolution of the NX1. Unless the bit rate is significantly increased there is probably not much that can be done about it.

Peaking on during recording probably won't happen due to processor overhead demands, since it would effectively double the workload of the processor at a time the processor is being stressed anyway. Things like magnification for focusing while recording video probably wont happen for the same reason.

That is not to say that things like that can't be done, but I would guess that we would need a 2016 processor to be able to handle the work load.

Sensor readout is limited by the silicon in the camera. The sensor can do a full sensor read at 240 fps, but obviously the camera can't handle that work load, so the practical maximum is a lot less. Therefore rolling shutter can't really be improved much by a firmware adjustment. You would need updated hardware for that I think.

"zero sharpness" would essentially be undebeyered RAW output. No camera is going to do this I think. That would without question require completely new hardware.

[kidzrevil]

Bit rate maximum is likely determined in hardware, so it can't really be increased over what the maximum currently is.

And in any case, the maximum bit rate conforms to what Samsung's H.265 TV decoders can handle, which is a maximum of 80 mbps. Probably they use the same logic in both the camera and television sets.

Macroblocking in areas of low contrast detail in highly detailed scenes is a function of the codec and bit rate in combination with the very high resolution of the NX1. Unless the bit rate is significantly increased there is probably not much that can be done about it.

Peaking on during recording probably won't happen due to processor overhead demands, since it would effectively double the workload of the processor at a time the processor is being stressed anyway. Things like magnification for focusing while recording video probably wont happen for the same reason.

That is not to say that things like that can't be done, but I would guess that we would need a 2016 processor to be able to handle the work load.

Sensor readout is limited by the silicon in the camera. The sensor can do a full sensor read at 240 fps, but obviously the camera can't handle that work load, so the practical maximum is a lot less. Therefore rolling shutter can't really be improved much by a firmware adjustment. You would need updated hardware for that I think.

"zero sharpness" would essentially be undebeyered RAW output. No camera is going to do this I think. That would without question require completely new hardware.

idk about the last part because when I used to shoot with a t3i magic lantern came out with an absolute zero sharpness mode that worked wonders for me significantly reducing/eliminating sharpening artifacts. All the other points you made lets hope they keep us in mind with the nx2. If they cant up the bitrate they need to make it more efficient. Im finding that if I pull up or pull down to recover detail in highlights, shadows or areas of low saturation I am getting artifacts. I am going to try and shoot at each picture profiles default settings with only -10 sharpness and see if that aleviates stress on the codec. I know with other cameras they struggle with low saturation and low contrast areas (sony a7s log & technicolor log) due to the 8 bit color space. So im thinking maybe Samsung engineered these profiles to be so saturated and contrasty with their codex in mind maybe.  I will throw a vision color impulz LUT to handle the complex saturation adjustments in hope of  eliminating the banding/macroblocking.

Short version : I don't think the h.265 codec can handle much changes to contrast and saturation. The NX1 needs all the data it can get from the beginning. Maybe Samsung can change this with more efficient encoding ?

[ita149]

 

3) absolute zero noise reduction & sharpness options : gives us the freedom to totally disable noise reduction and or in camera sharpness ! The noise reduction could be the main culprit behind the banding.

I agree, I want the NR setting since the beginning =).

[Jesse Anthony]

I'd love to see improved rolling shutter in UHD and a 4k crop mode like on the nx500. These will probably be in the next camera Samsung releases so I doubt we'll see a it in a firmware upgrade for the NX1, but it'd be nice. Also fixing the 8 bit banding would be nice too, but I think that'd be a tough one since it'd probably have to go to 10bit to fix that which would be pretty crazy to do in such a small camera.

[homestar_kevin]

I love all your guys ideas so far, and most of the things I'd want have been stated.

 

I'd also really like a 4x3 mode like the gh4 has.

[M Carter]

A user-menu folder/section like Nikon has, where you can copy most-used menu items from any menu section.

WHITE BALANCE CONTROLS IN VIDEO PREVIEW!!!

SLOW MO EFFECTS AVAILABLE IN 24P!!!! (Yeah, I can just shoot 60 or 120p, but I like that the camera conforms the clips. Wish it did it at 24p too).

More customization choices for the buttons than just the ones Samsung thinks make sense;

Option to have the shutter release be the video trigger; Or at least option to make both the wifi and trigger buttons be the video button at the same time.

Wired remote able to set focus point, zoom native lenses, and stop/start video (may already exist but I don't have the wired remote yet) (I use my crane a lot and have yet to take even one still with this thing).

Other than those, my primary ones would be anything that ups image quality.

I'd like to see every DSLR maker that has decent video add a DV pin hole to the body, so anti-spin QR plates could be developed. The hole could also be for the battery grip alignment pin.

Really love this camera and tech, but I fear wish lists are a moot point now...

 

 

[Marco Tecno]

Please look the date of this post of mine:

[tugela]

idk about the last part because when I used to shoot with a t3i magic lantern came out with an absolute zero sharpness mode that worked wonders for me significantly reducing/eliminating sharpening artifacts. All the other points you made lets hope they keep us in mind with the nx2. If they cant up the bitrate they need to make it more efficient. Im finding that if I pull up or pull down to recover detail in highlights, shadows or areas of low saturation I am getting artifacts. I am going to try and shoot at each picture profiles default settings with only -10 sharpness and see if that aleviates stress on the codec. I know with other cameras they struggle with low saturation and low contrast areas (sony a7s log & technicolor log) due to the 8 bit color space. So im thinking maybe Samsung engineered these profiles to be so saturated and contrasty with their codex in mind maybe.  I will throw a vision color impulz LUT to handle the complex saturation adjustments in hope of  eliminating the banding/macroblocking.

Short version : I don't think the h.265 codec can handle much changes to contrast and saturation. The NX1 needs all the data it can get from the beginning. Maybe Samsung can change this with more efficient encoding ?

I think sharpness in digital cameras is basically a debeyering parameter, so it is always going to be there in some form if you have a sensor with a Beyer filter.

The H.265 encoding is done in hardware, so the algorithms are set in stone. Not much that can be changed there short of a new processor.

[Dean]

All great suggestions. Dean nailed my idea's for video mode. I'd also love the ability to have selectable video mode presets. Like a custom mode you could save settings to and switch between 24p and 120p for example. Like I used to easily do on the gh4 lol. Video mode kind of needs an overhaul. Its rather an afterthought on the nx1.

You can already do this to some extent can't you? I have programmed C1 and C2 for photo and video. I have programmed them to have different picture wizard settings and aspect ratios and they work well. On pg 77 of the manual it says that "You can save up to 40 custom modes"  ... but not sure how you call them all up. Need to check further. 

[christrad]

4:3 mode for anamorphic shooters please...