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Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Sony A7R III

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R III
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Samsung NX mini

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Samsung NX mini
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Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing A7R III and NX mini, two Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Samsung. Sony Alpha A7R III is a Pro Mirrorless class camera and Samsung NX mini is a Entry-Level Mirrorless class camera.

Sony A7R III was introduced to market in October 2017 and Samsung NX mini was launched in March 2014. As you can see, NX mini is 3 years older than A7R III. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-10-25
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 657g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha A7R II Compare

Samsung NX mini Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-03-19
  • 20MP - 1' BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 12800 ( expands to 100 - 25600)
  • Samsung NX-M Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 6.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 196g. 110 x 62 x 23 mm

Sony A7R III was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Sony Alpha A7R III
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Samsung NX mini

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Samsung NX mini
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Max Sensor Resolution
42 MP vs 20 MP 110% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 12.800 150% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 21 404 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.440k dots vs 461k dots 212% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 6.0fps 4 fps faster
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
20.43µm2 vs 5.82µm2 251% 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
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (169. 6) 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
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
425 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A7R III PRICE


Reasons to choose Samsung NX mini over Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Max Mech. Shutter
1/16000s vs 1/8000s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
196 g vs 657 g 461 g lighter
CHECK NX mini PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Samsung NX mini
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
Touch Screen
Yes vs Yes Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
42 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 6.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Samsung NX mini
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini: 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 A7R III and Samsung NX mini side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7R III has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 74 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91″) and weighs 657 g (1.45 lb / 23.17 oz) (including batteries). Samsung NX mini has external dimensions of 110 x 62 x 23 mm (4.33 x 2.44 x 0.91″) and weighs 196 g (0.43 lb / 6.91 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini. Samsung NX mini is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 34mm shorter and 51mm thinner than Sony A7R III.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini.
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung NX mini is significantly lighter (461g ) than the Sony A7R III 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 A7R III has a Full frame sensor and Samsung NX mini has a smaller 1' sensor, Samsung NX mini's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7R III lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
NX mini
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
NX mini
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7R III has a big advantage over NX mini which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Samsung NX mini has a 20.5MP 1' (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 21.5MP more than Samsung NX mini'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.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R III's sensor lacks 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 A7R III and NX mini sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 7.4x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX mini. 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 A7R III vs Samsung NX mini 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 A7R III has an advantage over Samsung NX mini. There are 182 lenses for Sony A7R III's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 2 lenses for Samsung NX mini's Samsung NX-M lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A7R III has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. A7R III's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Samsung NX mini doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 1 lenses for Samsung NX-M mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Samsung NX mini Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 (13 Full Frame) n/a
Standard Prime 32 (18 Full Frame) n/a
Wideangle Zoom 12 (10 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Prime 55 (37 Full Frame) 1
Telephoto Zoom 15 (13 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Prime 26 (20 Full Frame) n/a
SuperZoom 10 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) n/a
Macro Prime 9 (8 Full Frame) n/a
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 182 (123 Full Frame) 2

What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Samsung NX mini 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 A7R III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX mini for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.5MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX mini for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX mini for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
425 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
21 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX mini for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
196g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX mini for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.5MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX mini: 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 A7R III and Samsung NX mini, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 A7R III and Samsung NX mini scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #11 out of 101 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #11 out of 1243 in all Cameras
Samsung NX mini
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #41 out of 130 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #240 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Samsung NX mini in all criteria except one: Portability. Samsung NX mini is significantly smaller than Sony A7R III. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Samsung NX mini. Otherwise, Sony A7R III is the better camera overall.

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Samsung NX mini
Samsung NX mini
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Samsung NX mini vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Samsung NX mini
Brand Sony Samsung
Announced 2017-10-25 2014-03-19
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame 1'
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 861.60mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 20.5 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO 25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 160 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 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 425 21
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Samsung NX-M
Number of Available Lenses 182 2
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,440k dots 461k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 6.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 196g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 110 x 62 x 23mm
Battery Life 650 shots 650 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 not tested
DxO Color Depth 26.0 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 not tested
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