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Sony A7S vs Samsung NX300M Comparison

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Sony A7S

12 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7S
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Samsung NX300M

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

Samsung NX300M
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Sony A7S vs Samsung NX300M Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Samsung. Sony A7S was introduced to market in April 2014 and Samsung NX300M was launched in January 2013. There is 15 months difference between A7S 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 A7S, especially in sensor tech.

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Samsung NX300M has a 20.0MP APS-C sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-06
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 409600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 489g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

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

Sony A7S was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Alpha A7S
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Samsung NX300M

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Samsung NX300M
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Max ISO
409.600 vs 25.600 1500% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 768k dots 60% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/6000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
360 shots vs 330 shots 30 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 18.48µm2 285% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Samsung NX300M over Sony Alpha A7S
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 12 MP 66% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
247 vs 25 222 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.3" vs 3 0.3 inches larger display
Continuous Shooting
9.0fps vs 5.0fps 4 fps faster
Weight
331 g vs 489 g 158 g lighter

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Samsung NX300M
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Size
3 vs 3.3" Large display
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Samsung NX300M
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7S 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 Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 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 Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M. Samsung NX300M is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 5mm narrower, 30mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Sony A7S.

Sony A7S vs Samsung NX300M Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M.
Sony A7S vs Samsung NX300M Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S 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 (158g ) than the Sony A7S 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 A7S has a Full frame sensor and Samsung NX300M has a smaller APS-C sensor, Samsung NX300M's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7S lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S
NX300M
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7S
NX300M
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over NX300M which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Samsung NX300M's 3.3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A7S's 3 screen.

Sony A7S vs Samsung NX300M: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X 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 Sony A7S'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 A7S and NX300M sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Samsung NX300M Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX300M. 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.

Sony A7S vs Samsung NX300M 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 Sony A7S has an advantage over Samsung NX300M. There are 128 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 32 lenses for Samsung NX300M's Samsung NX lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 31 lenses for Sony E mount and 7 lenses for Samsung NX mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Sony A7S Lenses # of Samsung NX300M Lenses
Standard Zoom 12 (9 Full Frame) 4
Standard Prime 18 (9 Full Frame) 5
Wideangle Zoom 7 (6 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Prime 42 (26 Full Frame) 11
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Prime 18 (14 Full Frame) 3
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 4
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 1
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 128 (81 Full Frame) 32

What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S 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.

Sony A7S for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX300M for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
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

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX300M for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
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

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX300M for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
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

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX300M for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
331g
Body Thickness 41mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX300M for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
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

Sony A7S 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 Sony A7S 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 Sony A7S and Samsung NX300M scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Samsung NX300M
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #74 out of 126 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #335 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Samsung NX300M in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Sony A7S.

Sony A7S
Sony A7S
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Samsung NX300M
Samsung NX300M
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Samsung NX300M vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Samsung NX300M
Brand Sony Samsung
Announced 2014-04-06 2013-01-03
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame APS-C
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area 855.62mm2 368.95mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 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 25 247
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Samsung NX
Number of Available Lenses 128 32
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3.3"
Resolution 1,230k dots 768k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 9.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 331g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 122 x 64 x 41mm
Battery Life 360 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 not tested
DxO Color Depth 23.9 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 not tested
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