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Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2 Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Samsung NX30

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

Samsung NX30
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Leica SL2

47 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Leica SL2
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Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Samsung and Leica. Samsung NX30 was introduced to market in January 2014 and Leica SL2 was launched in November 2019. As you can see, NX30 is 5 years older than SL2. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Samsung NX30 has a 20.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Leica SL2 has a 47.0MP Full frame sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Samsung NX30 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-01-03
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Samsung NX Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 9 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 375g. 127 x 96 x 58 mm
  • Replaced Samsung NX20 Compare

Leica SL2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-11-06
  • 47MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 50000
  • Leica L Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2" Fixed Type Screen
  • 5760k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 20.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 835g. 146 x 107 x 42 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Leica SL Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Samsung NX30 over Leica SL2
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Number of Focus Points
247 vs 225 22 more focus points
Weight
375 g vs 835 g 460 g lighter
Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices


Reasons to choose Leica SL2 over Samsung NX30
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder Magnification
0.78x vs 0.66x Larger Viewfinder
Max Sensor Resolution
47 MP vs 20 MP 135% more pixels
Max ISO
50.000 vs 25.600 95% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
2.100k dots vs 1.036k dots 102% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
20.0fps vs 9.0fps 11 fps faster
Battery Life
370 shots vs 360 shots 10 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Viewfinder Resolution
5760k dot vs 2359k dot 144% higher resolution
Max Video Resolution
4096 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (187) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Common Strengths of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 47 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 3.2" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.036k dots vs 2.100k dots High resolution screens
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2
New4
Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2: 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 Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Samsung NX30 has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 58 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.28″) and weighs 375 g (0.83 lb / 13.23 oz) (including batteries). Leica SL2 has external dimensions of 146 x 107 x 42 mm (5.75 x 4.21 x 1.65″) and weighs 835 g (1.84 lb / 29.45 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2. Samsung NX30 is 19mm narrower and 11mm shorter than Leica SL2 but it is also 16mm thicker.

Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2.

Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2.
Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung NX30 is significantly lighter (460g ) than the Leica SL2 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 Leica SL2 has a Full frame sensor and Samsung NX30 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Samsung NX30's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Leica SL2 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

NX30
SL2
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

NX30
SL2
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of SL2, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to NX30.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Leica SL2's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Samsung NX30's 3" screen.

On the other hand, Samsung NX30 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. On the other hand, Leica SL2 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to NX30.
Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2: Sensor Comparison

Samsung NX30 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DRIMeIV processor. On the other hand, Leica SL2 has a 47.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Maestro III processor.

Leica SL2's sensor provides 27MP more than Samsung NX30'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.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Leica SL2's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the NX30 and SL2 sensor size comparison.

Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 Cameras


As seen above, Leica SL2 has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX30. 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.

Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

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 Leica SL2 has an advantage over Samsung NX30 There are 40 lenses for Leica SL2's Leica L mount, on the other hand there are only 32 lenses for Samsung NX30's Samsung NX lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Leica SL2 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. NX30's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compnesate vibration up to 5.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
7 lenses for Samsung NX mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Samsung NX30 Lenses # of Leica SL2 Lenses
Standard Zoom 4 6 (6 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 5 8 (7 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 1 3 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 11 10 (10 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 2 5 (5 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 3 6 (6 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 1 n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 4 n/a
Macro Prime 1 1 (1 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime n/a n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 32 40 (38 Full Frame)

What types of Photography are Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2 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 NX30 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Leica SL2 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 47.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Samsung NX30 for Street Photography

GOOD

Leica SL2 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Samsung NX30 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Leica SL2 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
247 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Samsung NX30 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Leica SL2 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
375g
Body Thickness 58mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
835g
Body Thickness 42mm
Read the details

Samsung NX30 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Leica SL2 for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 47.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Samsung NX30 vs Leica SL2: 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 Samsung NX30 and Leica SL2, 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 NX30 and Leica SL2 scores compare:

Samsung NX30
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #57 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #122 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Leica SL2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 88 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #5 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Leica SL2 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Samsung NX30 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Samsung NX30. Otherwise, Leica SL2 is the better camera overall.

Samsung NX30
Samsung NX30
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Leica SL2
Leica SL2
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Leica SL2 vs Samsung NX30 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Samsung NX30 Leica SL2
Brand Samsung Leica
Announced 2014-01-03 2019-11-06
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C Full frame
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.7 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 368.95mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 47 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 8368 x 5584
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 50,000 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity - 50 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 247 225
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Samsung NX Leica L
Number of Available Lenses 32 40
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3" 3.2"
Resolution 1,036k dots 2,100k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots 5,760k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.66x 0.78x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Max Electronic Shutter n/a 1/1/40000 secs
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 9.0 fps 20.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 4096 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 375g 835g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 58mm 146 x 107 x 42mm
Battery Life 360 shots 370 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 77 not tested
DxO Color Depth 23.5 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 12.4 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 1014 not tested
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