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 Samsung NX100 and Sony A99 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Samsung NX100 has external dimensions of 120 x 71 x 35 mm (4.72 x 2.8 x 1.38″) and weighs 282 g (0.62 lb / 9.95 oz) (including batteries). Sony A99 has external dimensions of 147 x 111 x 78 mm (5.79 x 4.37 x 3.07″) and weighs 812 g (1.79 lb / 28.64 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Samsung NX100 and Sony A99. Samsung NX100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 27mm narrower, 40mm shorter and 43mm thinner than Sony A99.
![Samsung NX100 vs Sony A99 Camera Size Comparison - Front View]()
Comparison image of Samsung NX100 and Sony A99 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Samsung NX100 and Sony A99.
![Samsung NX100 vs Sony A99 Camera Size Comparison - Top View]()
Top View Comparison image of Samsung NX100 and Sony A99 Size
Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Samsung NX100 is significantly lighter (530g ) than the Sony A99 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Sony A99 has a Full frame sensor and Samsung NX100 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Samsung NX100's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A99 lenses.
Weight Comparison
DSLR Cameras
Thickness Comparison
DSLR Cameras
Weather Sealing
Thanks to the weather sealed body of A99, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to NX100.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Samsung NX100 and Sony A99's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".
On the other hand, Sony A99 sports a
Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Samsung NX100's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to A99.
Samsung NX100 has a 15.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DRIMe Engine processor. On the other hand, Sony A99 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony A99's sensor provides 9MP more than Samsung NX100'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 NX100 and A99 sensor size comparison.
![Samsung NX100 vs Sony A99 Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Samsung NX100 and Sony A99 Cameras
As seen above, Sony A99 has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX100. 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.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Samsung NX100 and Sony A99 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that A99 has a better overall score of 89, 27 points higher compared to NX100's score of 62.
| Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
|
Samsung NX100 |
62 |
22.6 bits |
10.7 Evs |
563 ISO |
|
Sony A99 |
89 |
25.0 bits |
14.0 Evs |
1555 ISO |
Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Sony A99 has an advantage over Samsung NX100 There are 143 lenses for Sony A99's Sony/Minolta Alpha mount, on the other hand there are only 32 lenses for Samsung NX100's Samsung NX lens mount.
Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Samsung NX100 and Sony A99 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.
| Lens Type |
# of Samsung NX100 Lenses |
# of Sony A99 Lenses |
| Standard Zoom |
4 |
20 (9 Full Frame) |
| Standard Prime |
5 |
9 (7 Full Frame) |
| Wideangle Zoom |
1 |
11 (4 Full Frame) |
| Wideangle Prime |
11 |
18 (16 Full Frame) |
| Telephoto Zoom |
2 |
26 (22 Full Frame) |
| Telephoto Prime |
3 |
12 (12 Full Frame) |
| SuperZoom |
1 |
19 (4 Full Frame) |
| Wideangle Fisheye Prime |
4 |
4 (2 Full Frame) |
| Macro Prime |
1 |
12 (9 Full Frame) |
| Perspective Control Prime |
n/a |
10 (10 Full Frame) |
| Telephoto Mirror Prime |
n/a |
2 (1 Full Frame) |
| TOTAL |
32 |
143 (96 Full Frame) |
In this section, we rank and compare Samsung NX100 and Sony A99 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.
Samsung NX100 for Portrait Photography
Sony A99 for Portrait Photography
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Samsung NX100 for Street Photography
Sony A99 for Street Photography
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details
Samsung NX100 for Sports Photography
Sony A99 for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
15 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
11 Cross Type Focus sensors
19 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Read the details
Samsung NX100 for Daily Photography
Sony A99 for Daily Photography
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
812g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details
Samsung NX100 for Landscape Photography
Sony A99 for Landscape Photography
Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Read the details
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 Samsung NX100 and Sony A99, 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 Samsung NX100 and Sony A99 scores compare:
Samsung NX100
Ranked
#100 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked
#425 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Sony A99
Ranked
#17 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked
#68 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Sony A99 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Samsung NX100 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Samsung NX100. Otherwise, Sony A99 is the better camera overall.
| General |
Samsung NX100 |
Sony SLT-A99 |
| Brand |
Samsung |
Sony |
| Announced |
2010-09-14 |
2012-12-12 |
| Body Type |
Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Mid-size SLR |
Sensor |
|
|
| Type |
CMOS |
CMOS |
| Size |
APS-C |
Full frame |
| Dimensions |
23.4 x 15.6 mm |
35.8 x 23.8 mm |
| Area |
365.04mm2 |
852.04mm2 |
| Megapixels |
15 megapixels |
24 megapixels |
| Max Resolution |
4592 x 3056 |
6000 x 4000 |
| Max Native Light sensitivity |
6,400 ISO |
25,600 ISO |
| Min Native Light sensitivity |
100 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 |
15 |
19 |
Lens |
|
|
| Manual Focus |
|
|
| Lens Mount |
Samsung NX |
Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Number of Available Lenses |
32 |
143 |
Screen |
|
|
| Type |
Fixed type |
Fully Articulated |
| Size |
3" |
3" |
| Resolution |
614k dots |
1,229k dots |
| Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
| Viewfinder |
Electronic (optional) |
Electronic |
| Viewfinder Resolution |
no electronic viewfinder |
2,359k dots |
| Viewfinder Coverage |
n/a |
100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification |
n/a |
0.71x |
Photography Features |
|
|
| Max Mechanical Shutter |
1/4000s |
1/8000s |
| Shutter Priority |
|
|
| Aperture Priority |
|
|
| Manual Exposure Mode |
|
|
| Custom White Balance |
|
|
| Image Stabilization |
Digital only |
Sensor-shift |
| Built-in Flash |
|
|
| Max Flash Sync |
1/180s |
1/250s |
| External Flash |
|
|
| Continuous Shooting |
3.0 fps |
10.0 fps |
| Multi-Segment |
|
|
| Average |
|
|
| Spot |
|
|
| Partial |
|
|
| AF-Area |
|
|
| Center Weighted |
|
|
| AE Bracketing |
|
|
| WB Bracketing |
|
|
Video Features |
|
|
| Max Video Resolution |
1280 x 720 |
1920 x 1080 |
| Video Formats |
H.264 |
MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
| Microphone Port |
|
|
| Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
| Wireless Connectivity |
None |
None |
| HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
| Environmental Sealing |
|
|
| Weight |
282g |
812g |
| Dimensions |
120 x 71 x 35mm |
147 x 111 x 78mm |
| Battery Life |
420 shots |
500 shots |
Other Features |
|
|
| Timelapse Recording |
|
|
| GPS |
Optional |
BuiltIn |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
| DxO Overall Score |
62 |
89 |
| DxO Color Depth |
22.6 |
25.0 |
| DxO Dynamic Range |
10.7 |
14.0 |
| DxO Low Light ISO |
563 |
1555 |
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |