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Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20 Comparison

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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 NX20

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

Samsung NX20
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Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Mirrorless cameras from Sony and Samsung. Sony A7R III was introduced to market in October 2017 and Samsung NX20 was launched in April 2012. As you can see, NX20 is 5 years older than A7R III. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Samsung NX20 has a 20.0MP APS-C sensor.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20 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 Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps 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 7R II Compare

Samsung NX20 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-04-20
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Samsung NX Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 8 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 341g. 122 x 90 x 40 mm
  • Replaced Samsung NX11 Compare

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 NX20

Samsung NX20 was replaced by Samsung NX30. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Samsung NX30 vs Samsung NX20
Samsung NX30 vs Sony Alpha A7R III

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Samsung NX20
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder Magnification
0.78x vs 0.7x Larger Viewfinder
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 15 410 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.440k dots vs 614k dots 134% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 8.0fps 2 fps faster
Battery Life
650 shots vs 360 shots 290 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
Color Depth
26.0 vs 23.4 higher color depth
Dynamic Range
14.7 vs 12.9 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO
3523 vs 785 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
20.43µm2 vs 18.48µm2 10% 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
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 Ultra High Speeds
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
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


Reasons to choose Samsung NX20 over Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Weight
341 g vs 657 g 316 g lighter

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Samsung NX20
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fully Articulated Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
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 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 8.0fps 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 NX20
New4
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20: 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 NX20 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 NX20 has external dimensions of 122 x 90 x 40 mm (4.8 x 3.54 x 1.57″) and weighs 341 g (0.75 lb / 12.03 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20. Samsung NX20 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 5mm narrower, 6mm shorter and 34mm thinner than Sony A7R III.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20.
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung NX20 is significantly lighter (316g ) 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 NX20 has a smaller APS-C sensor, Samsung NX20'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
NX20
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

A7R III
NX20
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7R III has a big advantage over NX20 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Sony A7R III features a Tilting only screen which is mostly only good for shooting from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Samsung NX20 sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20: 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 NX20 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 22MP more than Samsung NX20'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 NX20 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX20. 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 NX20 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, 25 points higher than NX20.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Sony A7R III 100 26.0 bits 14.7 Evs 3523 ISO
Samsung NX20 75 23.4 bits 12.9 Evs 785 ISO
Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20 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 NX20. There are 128 lenses for Sony A7R III's Sony E mount, on the other hand there are only 32 lenses for Samsung NX20'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.
7 lenses for Samsung NX mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R III Lenses # of Samsung NX20 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 A7R III and Samsung NX20 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Samsung NX20 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

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX20 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: 20.0MP
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX20 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
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX20 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: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
15 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX20 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
Medium size Body
341g
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX20 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: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Samsung NX20: 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 NX20, 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 A7R III and Samsung NX20 scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #4 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #4 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Samsung NX20
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #68 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #188 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Samsung NX20 in all criteria except one: Portability. Samsung NX20 is significantly smaller than Sony A7R III. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Samsung NX20. Otherwise, Sony A7R III is the better camera overall.

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Samsung NX20
Samsung NX20
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Samsung NX20 vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Samsung NX20
Brand Sony Samsung
Announced 2017-10-25 2012-04-20
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS 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 20 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 -
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 15
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Samsung NX
Number of Available Lenses 128 32
Screen
Type Tilting Fully Articulated
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,440k dots 614k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots n/a
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
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 11.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 8.0 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 S MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 341g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 122 x 90 x 40mm
Battery Life 650 shots 360 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 75
DxO Color Depth 26.0 23.4
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 12.9
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 785
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