By Dan Havlik—–
Samsung has announced it has hired a budding photographer to help promote its latest camera: six-time Olympic gold medalist and “world’s fastest human,” Usain Bolt. Along with winning gold medals and smashing world records as easily as some people smash plates, Bolt demonstrated his photography skills during last summer’s Olympics in London when he “borrowed” a press photographer’s Nikon D4 digital SLR after winning the 200mm race. The D4 camera, which Bolt etched his name into after shooting photos with it, was eventually sold for charity.
Now Samsung is hoping consumers will associate the speed and performance of its own cameras with the famous sprinter. Bolt is slated to appear in world-wide advertisements for the 20.3-megapixel Samsung NX300 compact system camera, which just went on sale today for USD$749.99, with a 20-50mm kit lens. Bolt will also promote Samsung’s “NX Junior Photographer” campaign, which provides camera gear and photography lessons to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. You can follow the NX Junior Photographer campaign on the Samsung NX Facebook page.
Samsung’s 45mm 2D/3D lens also went on sale today for $499.99. The lens, which lets you change between 2D and 3D shooting with a flip of a switch on the lens, features a f/1.8 maximum aperture and Samsung’s iFunction feature, letting you change key camera settings by touching a button on the lens barrel.
Both the 45mm 2D/3D lens and the NX300 “SMART” camera were unveiled at the CES show in Las Vegas in January. The NX300 sports a 3.3-inch AMOLED tilting touch panel; hybrid autofocus with both phase and contrast detection; and the ability to shoot 3D still and video with the help of that new lens.
Read our hands-on preview of the NX300 and 45mm 2D/3D lens here. You can order the new NX300 kit here.
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