File Quality
 |
 |
| RAW | Super Fine |
 |
 |
| Fine | Normal |
The NX100 gives the option to change file quality, which when lowered shaves significant amounts off of the file size at the theoretical compromise of image quality. However, from my testing and all of the pixel peeping I could do, I see virtually no difference between a 26MB RAW file and a 3MB normal file.
In order to try and squeeze any possible difference from the quality change, I shot at 800 ISO and took a picture of a towel. The reason behind this is that the minute differences tend to come out when shooting something with a lot of very small detail, such as hair or in this case a fuzzy towel.
 |
 |
| RAW | Super Fine |
 |
 |
| Fine | Normal |
Even in this extreme case with a super close-up crop of a highly detailed subject with higher ISO, I can see no difference between RAW and normal. So don’t feel like if you aren’t shooting RAW you aren’t getting the full potential of your camera. Also, if you have a small SD card such as 1 or 2GB, you can safely bump the quality down and fit 2-3 times more photos on than when shooting at the standard super fine.
Fun Effects
 |
 |
| Normal | Vignetting |
 |
 |
| Fisheye | Sketch |
Here are just a few examples of the different effects you can apply to an image after it has been taken. They aren’t massively impressive but can be pretty fun to mess around with and are super easy to use.
 |
 |
One effect that I found particularly interesting is the miniature effect which basically tries to imitate a tilt-shift lens. It is obviously no where near the real thing but is still interesting when shooting something far away and down low.
Would like to have seen this compared more to the Canon G12 or G1 X. This is informative to see how it compares to an older DSLR, but the D80 has been discontinued since 2008. You’re also comparing a 10.2MP DSLR, to a 14.6MP point and shoot. The overall look at the camera is good, however the comparison seems a bit useless
The focus was not really on NX100 vs D80 but more on mirrorless vs DSLR. Because this camera is aimed at someone looking to upgrade from a standard point and shoot they can get an idea of how this less-expensive option stacks up to the full DSLR. Besides, the D80 can still take excellent pictures.
As far as 10.2 vs 14.6MP, we are talking massive vs more massive. The only benefit is that you can crop the NX100 further while maintaining clarity. Once you resize down to a usable level the MP difference is negligible.
I would have loved to compare to a more modern DSLR, high-end point and shoot, or another mirrorless but resources are limited.