Thread: Ex2f

I've just sold my Pentax K-5 along with my FA Primes. I really want to move into a serious compact that I can take with me everywhere, has full manual controls and has the kind of IQ that one would expect from a serious compact. No touch screen and video is not important. I'm trying to decide between the Ricoh GRD IV and the Samsung EX2F. Can anyone give me their thoughts about the EX2F, I realize it just came out but perhaps experience with the previous model will be helpful as well. Thanks!

Obviously the EX2F is more versatile than the GRD because it has a zoom lens. It is a bit bigger though; I think the GRD will fit in most pockets except maybe jeans pockets, whereas the EX2F will be coat pocketable at best (I sometimes carry my EX1 in the side pocket of my walking pants, but then I have to wiggle it in/out, and it can't accommodate a case).

My overall impression of the EX1 is very positive. It's not the fastest camera in terms of operation (autofocus is slightly behind LX5, write times can be painfully slow, particularly in raw+jpeg, although I believe Samsung have finally moved to compressing their raw files which should help a lot). Taking off the lens cap (and if you carry it with the amoled display folded closed, opening the display) does mean it's a good bit slower to take out and fire off a shot than the GRD.

However, the EX1's lens is truly excellent; wide (which I love), with a useful zoom range, and fast. Ofcourse the EX2F has an even faster lens, particularly at wide angle, and an ND filter which should help in keeping the aperture wide open even in daylight, giving you some DOF control. The rotating screen is one of the standout features: good visibility, and the added compositional options it gives you are priceless. I don't understand why rotating screens aren't much more common, given that there're very few camera features that give you so many more options regarding the most important part of photography (composition) as a rotating screen.

The manual controls are GREAT: you have direct dials for shutter speed and aperture, if you click the shutter speed dial it turns into an exposure compensation dial, and if you press the up button on the rear dial you're changing the ISO setting. All with one hand, which I prefer over having to use both hands to change settings. You can set the drive mode dial to be a raw/jpeg dial as well, at least with the EX1. Ricoh's UI looks great too, by the way. The camera is also rock solid

As I said, the lens is sharp, and the raw files allow you to get very sharp images indeed. I don't know about the EX2F but one major downside about the EX1's jpegs is that you can't dial down noise reduction. Overall jpeg quality is quite nice though. EX1's sensor is okay, I usually go no higher than 400, although if the circumstances aren't too bad 800 can still give good results if you use raw and work it in Lightroom. EX2F has a new CMOS sensor that we can't really judge yet.

Originally Posted by bartjeej

However, the EX1's lens is truly excellent; wide (which I love), with a useful zoom range, and fast.

Thanks! Do you find the zoom to be of a useful range or do you really get the most use wide?

Personally I am a wideangle fan so I'm at full wide angle relatively often (I'd love the option to go even wider). However, having the option of 72mm equivalient at f/2.4 available is really rather nice for portraits, and the intermediate focal lengths are nice because there're plenty of situations where you just don't need the full width available to you, and using a slightly longer focal length just helps in keeping distractions out of the frame without cropping.

Originally Posted by bartjeej

Personally I am a wideangle fan so I'm at full wide angle relatively often (I'd love the option to go even wider). However, having the option of 72mm equivalient at f/2.4 available is really rather nice for portraits, and the intermediate focal lengths are nice because there're plenty of situations where you just don't need the full width available to you, and using a slightly longer focal length just helps in keeping distractions out of the frame without cropping.

How do you find the zoom control? Is it smooth?

on my EX1, not particularly to be honest. But then my zooming isnt usually super precise either so it's no major hindrance.

Hi,
I'm also considering the EX2F, amongst several others.....

Thanks for your input & opinions , does the EX2F have the facility to use a wired or Infra Red remote shutter release ?

Also does the lens have a screw thread fitting to be able to add extra lens filters, via a threaded adapter ring ( NDs, Soft & Hard edge grads, circular polarisers etc ) or does this have to be done in a different way, if so what way ?

These things and how it really handles are important for me personally, to be able to make the best camera choice for my style of photography.

Thanks in anticipation.

The EX1 had an infrared sensor for remote controls, I don't see an IR sensor on the photos of the EX2F, but it does have the ability to be controlled via smartphone through wifi.

Screw thread: the knurled ring around the lens can be screwed off, and then you can put on all kinds of filters via a filter adapter. They don't attach directly to the lens itself though:

Right now I use Samsung EX2F... I have a feeling its image quality is slightly inferior to that of EX1. And the build quality is also not as nice.

wow that's unexpected! Regarding image quality, are you talking jpeg or raw?