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Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1 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 NX1

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

Samsung NX1
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Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A7R III and NX1, two Pro Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Samsung. Sony A7R III was introduced to market in October 2017 and Samsung NX1 was launched in September 2014. As you can see, NX1 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 NX1 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 NX1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-09-15
  • 28MP - APS-C BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 51200)
  • Samsung NX Mount
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 15.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 550g. 139 x 102 x 66 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

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 NX1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Samsung NX1
In-built Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and slow shutter speeds
Viewfinder Magnification
0.78x vs 0.7x Larger Viewfinder
Max Sensor Resolution
42 MP vs 28 MP 50% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 25.600 25% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 209 216 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.440k dots vs 1.036k dots 38% higher resolution screen
Battery Life
650 shots vs 500 shots 150 more frames with a single charge
Viewfinder Resolution
3686.4k dot vs 2360k dot 56% higher resolution
Color Depth
26.0 vs 24.2 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.7 vs 13.2 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3523 vs 1363 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
20.43µm2 vs 13.18µm2 55% larger pixel area
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
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (169. 6) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
425 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
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 NX1 over Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 10.0fps 5 fps faster
Weight
550 g vs 657 g 107 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
4096 x 2160 vs 3840 x 2160 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
CHECK NX1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Samsung NX1
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Bluetooth Connection
Yes vs Yes Connect to other devices via Bluetooth
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
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
42 MP vs 28 MP Bigger prints and more details
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs UHS-II Read/Write in High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Samsung NX1
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1: 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 NX1 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 NX1 has external dimensions of 139 x 102 x 66 mm (5.47 x 4.02 x 2.6″) and weighs 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1. Sony A7R III is 12mm narrower and 6mm shorter than Samsung NX1 but it is also 8mm thicker.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1.
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung NX1 is significantly lighter (107g ) 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 NX1 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Samsung NX1'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
NX1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
NX1
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7R III and NX1 have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1'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 NX1: 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 NX1 has a 28.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features DRIMe 5 processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 14MP more than Samsung NX1'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 similarity between these two cameras is that both Samsung NX1 and Sony A7R III sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. 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 NX1 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX1. 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

Both Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A7R III has scored 100, 17 points higher than NX1.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7R III 100 26.0 bits 14.7 Evs 3523 ISO
Samsung NX1 83 24.2 bits 13.2 Evs 1363 ISO
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1 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 NX1. There are 182 lenses for Sony A7R III's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 34 lenses for Samsung NX1's Samsung NX 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 NX1 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 7 lenses for Samsung NX mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Samsung NX1 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 (13 Full Frame) 4
Standard Prime 32 (18 Full Frame) 5
Wideangle Zoom 12 (10 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Prime 55 (37 Full Frame) 11
Telephoto Zoom 15 (13 Full Frame) 2
Telephoto Prime 26 (20 Full Frame) 4
SuperZoom 10 (2 Full Frame) 1
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 4
Macro Prime 9 (8 Full Frame) 1
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 182 (123 Full Frame) 34

What types of Photography are Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Samsung NX1 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 NX1 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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 28.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX1 for Street Photography

GOOD
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
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX1 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 15.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
153 Cross Type Focus sensors
209 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX1 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
550g
Body Thickness 66mm
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX1 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 28.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX1: 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 NX1, 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 NX1 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 NX1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 101 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #54 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 NX1 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 A7R III.

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Samsung NX1
Samsung NX1
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Samsung NX1 vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Samsung NX1
Brand Sony Samsung
Announced 2017-10-25 2014-09-15
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame APS-C
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area 861.60mm2 368.95mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 28 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 6480 x 4320
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 25,600 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO 51200 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 425 209
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Samsung NX
Number of Available Lenses 182 34
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,440k dots 1,036k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots 2,360k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 11.00 m (ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 15.0 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 4096 x 2160
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S H.265
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 550g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 139 x 102 x 66mm
Battery Life 650 shots 500 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 83
DxO Color Depth 26.0 24.2
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 13.2
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 1363
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