Samsung NX 50-200mm f/4.0-5.6 ED OIS II iFunction Lens Review

Samsung NX 50-200mm f/4.0-5.6 ED OIS II Handling and features

The lens barrel is constructed from high quality plastics and the lens mount is metal. It has a smooth glossy finish and a blue metallic ring between the lens body and zoom ring. With a weight of 406g and a length of 100.5mm, it balances perfectly on the Samsung NX20 body used for testing, but may feel a little cumbersome on more compact NX cameras.

Focusing is performed internally, and the 52mm filter thread doesn't rotate, which is ideal for use with graduated and polarising filters. Focus speeds are very fast, especially in good light and the thin manual focus ring feels quite smooth to operate. In manual focus mode the screen instantly magnifies the centre section of the image, making fine adjustments straightforward. This lens has iFunction control, which provides quick access to commonly adjusted features. Holding the button allows certain adjustments to be applied by turning the focus ring on the lens.

The minimum focus distance of 98cm is fairly typical for lenses of this range. The optical image stabiliser allows sharp hand-held shots to be taken with a certain degree of success at 1/20, which is roughly four stops slower than the usual rule of thumb would dictate is possible. The stabiliser also does a grand job of steadying the image on-screen, making composition easier at telephoto focal lengths.

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