Samsung Australia has just unveiled its latest NX10 digital camera at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The new unit is said to have the heart of a DSLR inside the frame of a digital compact camera.

The reason for the significantly smaller profile is its mirrorless design, but this does not mean image quality is lost. An integrated APS-C size CMOS sensor ensures that the NX10 maintains a very high quality picture.

The NX10 also has the ability to change lenses, which is a feature normally only associated with DSLR models.

“The new Samsung NX10 marks the start of the next generation of cameras, a creative tool for the creative class,” said Sagar Dave, digital AV marketing manager, Samsung Australia.

“Samsung has always been quick to implement cutting edge technology and for the first time in the camera industry, Samsung has successfully integrated an APS-C size sensor into a compact body by eliminating the mirror box, meaning users can now be as creative as they want without compromising image quality.”

Auto focus speed is another feature Samsung is promoting with the NX10, and the company’s latest DRIMe II Pro engine and advanced AF algorithm ensures the camera is one of the fastest in its class.

At launch Samsung will have three detachable lenses available to compliment the NX10: the 18-55 millimetres standard zoom lens, which is the standard shipping set-up; a telephoto zoom lens at 50-200 millimetres; and a 30-millimetre fixed focus lens.

According to Samsung, the average weight of its lens weighs considerably less than those for a standard DSLR. A standard lens for a DSLR (68.5 millimetres x 67.5 millimetres) weighs approximately 225 grams whilst a standard lens with the NX10 (63 millimetres x 65.1 millimetres) weighs 198 grams.

“We know from our detailed research over several years that what consumers want from their cameras is evolving, which we’ve reflected in the development of the NX10,” said SJ Park, CEO of Samsung Digital Imaging Company.

“With specialist equipment open to everyone and no longer restricted solely to the professional, more and more people want to capture something creative and tell a story through their camera – but they also want something compact that they can carry round with them all day. The large sensor and the ultra fast auto focus give consumers the quality they demand as well as the compactness they want in one exceptional package.”

The Samsung NX10 will be released in February 2010. The RRP has not yet been confirmed.