Samsung links ‘smart’ cameras to Net via Wi-Fi

Models pose with Samsung Electronics’ NX series, the world’s first mirrorless camera equipped with a Wi-Fi system, at the company’s headquarters in Seocho District, southern Seoul, yesterday. [YONHAP]

Samsung Electronics’ “How to live smart” slogan used to refer to the company’s range of smart TVs.

Now it also applies to smart cameras.

The tech behemoth yesterday unveiled three high-end cameras with interchangeable lenses that also have Wi-Fi connectivity.

The company says it is the first in the world to release a Wi-Fi-enabled mirrorless camera.

The models - the NX 20, NX 1000 and NX 210 - are all 20-megapixel cameras.

A mirrorless camera, which does not have a mirror-based optical viewfinder, is much smaller and lighter than DSLRs but carry similar high-end features.

NX 1000, the lightest of the three, weighs 222 grams (7.8 ounces).

The Internet connection will make it possible for users to send photos to smartphones or to social media such as Facebook without having to transfer photo files to a computer.

“In the past, when cameras were hugely popular, they were mostly for the sake of recording things and events,” said Han Myoung-sup, senior vice president of the digital imaging business at Samsung, at a press conference at the company’s headquarters in southern Seoul.

“But times have changed. Now consumers have a huge aspiration to express themselves through their photos. Photography has now evolved into a means of communication.”

The NX series will go on sale in early May, beginning with the NX20, which will cost 1.19 million won ($1,042).

Samsung is planning to release five more smart camera models in the first half of the year.

By Seo Ji-eun [spring@joongang.co.kr]