NX2 rumors

[noone]

I am pretty sure an NX2 has existed for some time.

The lead in time for cameras can be pretty long and I would have thought it was in development when the NX1 was released and it was just never proceeded with.

Maybe they have a small unit ticking over with camera stuff now just for phones and tablets ETC.

 

 

[lucabutera]

If we want to fantasize and speculate on the post appeared on the site mirrorlessrumors, we can say that it is very convincing, Samsung must develop new technologies to be always technologically advanced, even if these products should never go into production.
The construction of a prototype serves to test the capabilities of their products, this has nothing senseless and personally does not surprise me at all.
I agree that the marketing of the photo department of Samsung is totally wrong, communication with customers was very disappointing, but it is also true that the quality / price ratio of the NX1 and NX500 was the best ever, also it is to be appreciated that the Samsung It has never charged extra costs for major firmware updates like the professional DR color profile.
If tomorrow Samsung officially announced that it is building the NX2 I would be the happiest person in the world. I bought the NX1 in 2015, three years to replace a camera is a very reasonable time frame, I would think poor those who buy Sony and Panasonic, not even have time to unpack their new camera that after six months is already old !!
My humble opinion is that Samsung must continue to build cameras to be present in the photographic industry, of course Samsung knows that this involves the need to reorganize the work team, the technical staff must be numerically reduced and the work must be well organized to optimize expenses, Samsung has everything ready to make the leap in quality and move on to the professional video industry.
In conclusion, Samsung produces every type of electronic product, look at home you will certainly have at least three products with Samsung brand, so why close only the photographic department precluding a secure businness, having the necessary professional potential?

[hk908]

I'm not optimistic of this rumor, but I would for sure buy an NX2 on the first day. Love my NX1.

[Trek of Joy]

1 hour ago, lucabutera said:

Samsung produces every type of electronic product, look at home you will certainly have at least three products with Samsung brand, so why close only the photographic department precluding a secure businness, having the necessary professional potential?

It will take years - if ever to turn a profit in a declining camera market with zero brand recognition. Its not about filling every possible segment with a product just because they can - much like Sony tried and failed to do (notice how they spun off TV's, home audio, computers, tablets and phones, because they were all losing large amounts of cash)  - its about being able to produce a product at a profit. Sony refocused on core products and is now turning a healthy profit. Given how quickly they dumped the NX1, its clear their R&D/marketing investment didn't meet the expected returns so they dumped it and move the resources to the phone division. The camera market is in a steep decline, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic lost money for years - CaNikon is up and down - its very volatile.

Samsung can't just release a camera and instantly turn a profit, regardless of spec, because enthusiasts like those on this board aren't enough to sustain a product line. You need the general buying public to also buy into the system (which means budget models that sell many times more than top end models), and that will take years to build a lineup, repair their reputation, and convince customers that you're in it for the long haul. Few will be willing to buy into a system with an uncertain future - and even fewer will buy a single high spec body with little hope of a future, especially after rampant denials from Samsung about exiting the camera market before shuttering the NX.

Sony is making billions from their sensor fab division, this is a piece of the pie I'm willing to bet Samsung wants to eat into, as they have the tech and engineering might to be competitive. And unlike cameras at retail - there's massive growth in sensor fab moving forward. They've restructured their staff and business focus since the scandal with three divisions - IM (IT & Mobile Communications), CE (Consumer Electronics), and DS (Device Solutions) - a camera line really doesn't fit with any of those. 

Cheers

[Kisaha]

@Trek of Joy This is exactly what we are saying, Samsung needs a prototype camera - or a limited edition one - to show case their sensors.

Samsung is one or two new fabs away from making a dent on Sony's sensor sales. Most of Samsung's experimental sensors (I used to follow them) were best in industry, but Samsung had neither the capability to mass produce (even for their phones are buying Sony sensors), or Japanese companies didn't buy from them. 

Sony's biggest earner is the adoption of 3-5 cameras on each phone (3-5 sensors), biggest buyers were Apple and Xiaomi, with Sony have 42% of the whole sensor industry and in general this (current fiscal year) is the best Sony year since 1998. With all the good ones, I have to add that

"Sony has made thousands of job cuts and asset sales, and focused on gaming and image sensors to drive the turnaround of its business after years of losses."

228 billion Yen for sensors.

76 billion Yen from Consumer Electronics, mainly boosted by new 4K TVs.

55 billion Yen in Games and gaming, increase on PS4/PS4pro sales.

244 billion Yen in Films, mainly because of the new Spiderman(?!wtf?!)

94 billion Yen in music, because of Spotify partnership and the game Fate/Grand order (mobile games belong to the Music division for some reason).

We are talking about something like 7 billion $.

On the other hand, Samsung is the top manufacturer of components, memory chips, smarthphones, television sets, and on a moderate year for them, their fiscal year revenue was 220 billion $, with operating profit 50 billion $. The next fiscal year will see a big growth in both revenue and profit for various reasons (too much to mentioned all of them here!).

"In 2018, Samsung will provide 8nm and 11nm processes to meet customers’ needs and start a risk production of 7-nano. In addition, we will increase its mass production capabilities at the new S3 and S4 lines for various products including mobile processors and image sensors."

People in general underestimate the power of Samsung. Most of the camera manufacturers (except Canon and Sony) could be plain bought out by Samsung every day of the week, including weekends.

 

[Trek of Joy]

30 minutes ago, Kisaha said:

People in general underestimate the power of Samsung. Most of the camera manufacturers (except Canon and Sony) could be plain bought out by Samsung every day of the week, including weekends.

 

Nobody is underestimating anything, the same could be said for Apple, or Microsoft, Volkswagen or even BP with the cash reserves they have - but they still wouldn't be buying a hugely profitable division. Nikon and GoPro are ripe for a buyout, yet there's no interest.

A one off halo camera works for someone like Leica because they have well heeled customers that buy them as camera jewelry lifestyle products - like women with $3000 purses. Nobody is doing that with Samsung. Remember the flop when Hasselblad added wood to Sony cameras and doubled their price? A small run doesn't add to Leica's cost structure because their production levels annually are less than what Samsung probably builds in one day with the Galaxy. Any camera prototypes IMO are to demonstrate capabilities to Nikon, Panasonic, Huawei, Oppo and others where they can sell something they already produce from existing sensor fab factories - not to start making an entirely new product line. If they were going to release a super-spec NX2, don't you think it would come before the Olympics in their own backyard with the whole world watching? As in right now? Any other time in the future makes absolutely no sense from a marketing standpoint. 

I don't think people are looking at it logically or from a purely business standpoint. Their halo product is the Galaxy phone, plain and simple.

Chris

[Kisaha]

@Trek of Joy I do not disagree, and your point about the Olympics was spot on, and brilliant, but with your last paragraph it seems that you DO underestimate Samsung and their divisions.

I'll take fiscal year 2016 (in KRW trillions). Consumer electronics is 45. IT and mobile communications (not just the Galaxy line) 100, which semiconductors is 51-52 and Display panel is 27, and finally device solutions is 78. And that is not the whole company by the way, but anyways. Even taking out the smartphones completely, Samsung is a few times bigger than Sony, not a little bit bigger.

Nikon is not for sale (and they would never sold to a Korean company), and Samsung have their own series of small cameras (360/Vr) and millions and millions into their phones, couldn't care less for a lost cause (GoPro). Even Xiaomi (Yi) is bigger than GoPro.

I do not believe we will ever see such camera, but my argument was that make one, is nothing for Samsung, not even a drop of water to the Pacific Ocean.

 

 

[Trek of Joy]

1 hour ago, Kisaha said:

I do not believe we will ever see such camera, but my argument was that make one, is nothing for Samsung, not even a drop of water to the Pacific Ocean.

The same could be said for many things, but that's pretty irrelevant. I'm sure they could build a better car than Tesla, but they're not going to. Read Samsung's financials and what they're focused on moving forward - strengthening their core businesses and expanding into automotive markets, digital health and industrial automation - all of which make heavy use of cameras and processors for cutting edge tech. I still call BS on this rumor. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. Enjoy your camera.

Chris

[LawDude]

If this turns out to be true, I'll pre-order one!

[lucabutera]

@Trek of Joy, I started my post saying "if we want to fantasize and speculate on the post appeared on mirrorlessrumors" all we say is based on our hopes and beliefs, I bet you do not have the NX1 camera right?
Some time ago I read a very smart comment that said this:
"Today the photos are taken with smartphones and Samsung has the best-selling phone in the world, so Samsung is still the world leader in photography."
This reasoning is logical, Samsung has incorporated the photo department with that of smartphones because the photography market had been assimilated by smartphones, they would have been crazy to do otherwise!
All I want to say is that I repeat for the third and last time is this: Samsung produces the sensors, processors, the display and all the electronic components necessary to assemble a camera, the DR color profile allows you to get natural colors and shades of exceptional skin. The codec h265 has the same performance of the ProRes at less than half the space, the firmware has a friendly interface and an intuitive menu (nothing to do with Sony cameras).
The NX1 was a UFO that has anticipated the times too much, as evidenced by the fact that even today is among the best cameras ever built.
Today the time is ripe, the codec h265 no longer has problems with transcoding and is compatible with all video editing programs.

The Samsung NX2, if it will be produced with the technical characteristics listed, will be sold before arriving on the shelves.

[Kisaha]

Who needs an NX2, when Fuji has a new video-centric camera that can do 6 minutes of 100 frames and cropped 4K? And 20 minutes of 1080 video!

[IronFilm]

9 hours ago, Trek of Joy said:

Samsung can't just release a camera and instantly turn a profit, regardless of spec, because enthusiasts like those on this board aren't enough to sustain a product line. You need the general buying public to also buy into the system (which means budget models that sell many times more than top end models), and that will take years to build a lineup, repair their reputation, and convince customers that you're in it for the long haul.

This is why I feel it is a damn pity that Sony never updated the a5100 in years. 

Also I hope Panasonic doesn't forget about the low end GF series, and they don't push the G series too high end (the G9 is bloody expensive! Maybe a cheap "G900" is needed?).

[IronFilm]

7 hours ago, Kisaha said:

And that is not the whole company by the way, but anyways.

It is CRAZY the many pies Samsung has fingers in, like TANKS:
 

 

[Mattias Burling]

5 hours ago, Kisaha said:

Who needs an NX2, when Fuji has a new video-centric camera that can do 6 minutes of 100 frames and cropped 4K? And 20 minutes of 1080 video!

Not people looking for great stills I guess.

[Matthew Hartman]

16 hours ago, Kisaha said:

@Trek of Joy 

People in general underestimate the power of Samsung. Most of the camera manufacturers (except Canon and Sony) could be plain bought out by Samsung every day of the week, including weekends.

I think many western consumers mistake Samsung for a cheap Chinese copycat manufacturer. Like the Japanese, the South Koreans are very technology astute and quite westernized. They also hold a lot of political sway over the South Korean economy and government. But they're not just in South Korea. There's an American corporate division right down the road from me (WA) that employs quite a bit of Americans and ppl from all walks of life, including a few ppl I personaly know, which by the way say they enjoy working there.

It is truly a giant global corporation. Also Samsung is not one company. There are several sister companies under the Samsung umbrella/letterhead. 

Again, Samsung can do a pet project without an expectation to profit in any meaningful way and then throw some more cash on the fire. Their R&D labs are the most funded and equipped on the planet. And in 2018, I think they're going to have the smartphone to beat, especially once the Note 9 comes along. 

Why anyone would knowingly underestimate them is beyond me. 

[Robert Collins]

8 hours ago, lucabutera said:

 

The Samsung NX2, if it will be produced with the technical characteristics listed, will be sold before arriving on the shelves.

If camera sales were largely a function of the underlying quality of the camera, I don’t think Canon would dominate  the market!!

Samsung should focus on the areas it has a competitive advantage namely sensors, processors lcds etc rather than tackle areas it does not lenses, market penetration, marketing. Samsung’s ILC sales were so low CIPA didn’t even collect the data.

[DBounce]

3 hours ago, Robert Collins said:

If camera sales were largely a function of the underlying quality of the camera, I don’t think Canon would dominate  the market!!

Samsung should focus on the areas it has a competitive advantage namely sensors, processors lcds etc rather than tackle areas it does not lenses, market penetration, marketing. Samsung’s ILC sales were so low CIPA didn’t even collect the data.

The Samsung S lens was a fantastic lens. Sansung has the resources to put out some great glass... if the choose.

Fitment of the handgrip was poor... substandard. Don’t know how it ever passed QC. Samsung doesn’t need to focus on its strengths... it has those nailed down pretty well. Better QC, flash unit, lens selection. All would go a long way to improve they system. I doubt they will keep the lens mount. It was an area of much contention. I would be surprised to see a new NX camera. I would certainly be happy to see it, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

[GiM_6x]

It is clear that Samsung show its muscles.
At least from time to time.
It is clear that Samsung is not much interested in a photo/movie CAMERA industry as we think it should be - since he has nobody to compete with ( !!! ), but this is where he show what he can really do, since as always a "regular" photo camera is something more serious compared with a smartphone camera.
Not that its smartphones cameras are not the best in the smartphone industry.

I am sure these specs, what we call right now NX2, will materialise in a real camera, but is not necessary to be produced and distributed as we want or believe it should be, it may be a limited edition as NX1, it may be a super-limited edition - not public - as for R&D show to prove its capabilities (or just its toys as someone said), it is clear politics, and not the last to show that NX line is not dead - but is not the kind of company as Canon/Nikon/Sony who make few cameras each year with so little increase in specs that only the "professional line" clients will follows each step.

I do like / love this at Samsung, every few years a real new product, some real increase in performances, for real photo lovers.

I bought NX1 last year + 16-50.S, not for Samsung name/line (also I believe in this name), but for NX1 specs/performance/price, and I am not a photo pro, the money invested are a sort of loss for me, but I will enjoy the photos/movies I did and will do with this camera.
I will ad one-two lense(s), Samsung will repair if needed (lets hope not!), and since I am an older photo sinner (yeah, 6x), for an NX2 (or whatever the name) I can trade my wife (yes, I know, Samsung will not like / want her  ), but at least I can try :-).

[sandro]

As long as I wish this was true, it just won't happen. The market is too niche for adding a new product (again), also considering the bad reputation they have, in a niche market everyone knows what they did... abandoned while lying to customers about leaving. wow.

Anyway Samsung is so rich and big they could invest in something that one could turn into profit someday or not, Google has money to waste with failed projects I wonder how much they would have needed to sell for the nx1 to become profitable... 

And selling the sensor to others I don't think it would yeield something close to the nx1.

[Matthew Hartman]

19 minutes ago, sandro said:

As long as I wish this was true, it just won't happen. The market is too niche for adding a new product (again), also considering the bad reputation they have, in a niche market everyone knows what they did... abandoned while lying to customers about leaving. wow.

Anyway Samsung is so rich and big they could invest in something that one could turn into profit someday or not, Google has money to waste with failed projects I wonder how much they would have needed to sell for the nx1 to become profitable... 

And selling the sensor to others I don't think it would yeield something close to the nx1.

I don't think Samsung will release an NX2, but I feel like some of you are getting stuck on looking at Samsung as if they're always doing something for profit, as if they need it. This could very well be another pet project with zero intention to recoup investment, just because they can. Even at Microsoft we did the same thing. I worked on a team of designers and we were developing MS's version to Apple's Carplay for about 2 years and a big wig came in one day and shut the whole thing down in a matter of minutes, it's how it is.

Samsung's 8 of 9 companies could go down and they'd still be insanely profitable. I think some of you are underestimating the scale and reach of the company. It's insane how huge they are.