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Nikon P500 vs Samsung NX300M Comparison

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Nikon P500

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P500
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Samsung NX300M

20 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

Samsung NX300M
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Nikon P500 vs Samsung NX300M Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon P500, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Samsung NX300M, which was introduced in January 2013 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP APS-C sensor. There is 23 months difference between P500 and NX300M so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger NX300M, especially in sensor tech.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

Samsung NX300M Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-01-03
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Samsung NX Mount
  • 3.3" Tilting Screen
  • 9 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 331g. 122 x 64 x 41 mm

Nikon P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Samsung NX300M

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Samsung NX300M
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 768k dots 19% higher resolution screen


Reasons to choose Samsung NX300M over Nikon Coolpix P500
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
Max ISO
25.600 vs 3.200 700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
247 vs 9 238 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.3" vs 3" 0.3 inches larger display
Max Mech. Shutter
1/6000s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
9.0fps vs 1.0fps 8 fps faster
Battery Life
330 shots vs 220 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Weight
331 g vs 494 g 163 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
18.48µm2 vs 2.34µm2 689% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Samsung NX300M
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 3.3" Large display
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Samsung NX300M
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon P500 vs Samsung NX300M: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P500 has external dimensions of 116 x 84 x 10 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06″) and weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz) (including batteries). Samsung NX300M has external dimensions of 122 x 64 x 41 mm (4.8 x 2.52 x 1.61″) and weighs 331 g (0.73 lb / 11.68 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M. Samsung NX300M is 20mm shorter and 62mm thinner than Nikon P500 but it is also 6mm wider. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon P500 has a built-in lens but Samsung NX300M doesn't. Once you put a lens on NX300M, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon P500 vs Samsung NX300M Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M.
Nikon P500 vs Samsung NX300M Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung NX300M is significantly lighter (163g ) than the Nikon P500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on NX300M, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P500 nor Samsung NX300M provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Samsung NX300M's 3.3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon P500's 3" screen.

Nikon P500 vs Samsung NX300M: Sensor Comparison

Nikon P500 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Samsung NX300M has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DRIMe IV processor.

Samsung NX300M's sensor provides 8MP more than Nikon P500's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the P500 and NX300M sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Samsung NX300M Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M Cameras


As seen above, Samsung NX300M has a 13.1x Larger sensor area than Nikon P500. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon P500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX300M for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX300M for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX300M for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
810 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
247 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX300M for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
35.2X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
494g
Body Thickness 103mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
331g
Body Thickness 41mm
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Samsung NX300M for Landscape Photography

POOR
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Samsung NX300M: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon P500 and Samsung NX300M scores compare:

Nikon P500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #50 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #556 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Samsung NX300M
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #75 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #338 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Samsung NX300M has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon P500 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Samsung NX300M
Samsung NX300M
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Samsung NX300M vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Samsung NX300M
Brand Nikon Samsung
Announced 2011-02-09 2013-01-03
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area 28.07mm2 368.95mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 247
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Samsung NX
Lens Focal Range 23-810 mm (36×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3" 3.3"
Resolution 921k dots 768k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 m no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 9.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 331g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 122 x 64 x 41mm
Battery Life 220 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
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