Canon SX510 HS vs Samsung WB350F: The Small Sensor Superzoom Showdown

When it comes to compact superzoom cameras - those pocket-friendly powerhouses promising a beastly zoom range - the early 2010s had quite the lineup. Today, I’m diving deep into a head-to-head between two models from that era that have captured the hearts (and wallets) of trek-happy photographers: the Canon PowerShot SX510 HS and the Samsung WB350F. Both offer tempting zoom ranges wrapped in compact bodies, but how do they stack up across photography disciplines and real-world use? After spending considerable hands-on time with both, here’s an in-depth exploration revealing which might be your photographic sidekick.

Handling and Ergonomics: The First Impression Matters

From the get-go, handling can make or break your enthusiasm for a camera, and these two tell different stories.

The Canon SX510 HS weighs in at 349 grams and has dimensions roughly 104x70x80 mm, giving it a solid, somewhat chunky feel for a superzoom. Its grip is reasonably substantial, lending reassurance during one-handed shooting, especially at full zoom. The buttons are laid out in a fairly conventional Canon style, leaning toward photographers familiar with the brand. However, what it gains in grip, it somewhat loses in portability - you’ll notice the heft if pocket carry is your goal.

On the other side, the Samsung WB350F trims down the weight to 276 grams and measures 114x65x25 mm, noticeably slimmer and lighter. It’s effortlessly pocketable and has a sleek, minimalist design. However, that slimness results in less grip security, making it a little fiddly at extreme telephoto lengths - something to mind if you shoot outdoors or on the move.

The top controls on the Canon are tactile and satisfyingly clicky, which lends confidence when shooting quickly or blind - great if you’re a street photographer or sports shooter not wanting to glance away. Samsung’s buttons feel softer and the WB350F leans more on its touchscreen (which is absent on the Canon) for navigation, offering a modern, smartphone-like interface but at the cost of sometimes less immediate manual control.

The ergonomic design clearly caters to different user preferences. If you favor solid handling and direct control, Canon nudges ahead. For lightweight portability and touchscreen convenience, Samsung has the edge.

Sensor and Image Quality: Small Size, Big Questions

Both cameras rely on 1/2.3" sensors - a small sensor by anyone’s standards - yet that’s their bread and butter given the superzoom lens constraints where size and weight are tight trade-offs.

• Canon SX510 HS uses a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor paired with the Digic 4 processor.
• Samsung WB350F rocks a 16-megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor.

On paper, the extra pixels in the WB350F might look tempting, but pixel count alone rarely tells the whole story. The sensor technology plays a crucial role, and Samsung’s backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS does offer better light gathering in theory.

In practical testing, under well-lit conditions, both cameras deliver detailed images suitable for 8x10 inch prints or web sharing. The Canon, however, exhibits slightly better noise control at base ISO 80-400, thanks to its Digic 4 processing pipeline, making it a better pick when subtle tone gradation matters (hello, portraits and landscapes).

The Samsung’s higher resolution can result in finer detail capture on static subjects and cropping flexibility, but noise creeps up more aggressively after ISO 800. So for low-light, the Canon again holds a slight lead, giving a bit more usable dynamic range.

Color reproduction is a tale of personal taste: Canon tends to push more natural tones with a slight warmth - which, to me, is preferable for skin and landscapes - while Samsung can deliver punchier colors, which some find vibrant but sometimes a touch oversaturated.

Through the Viewfinder: LCD and Interface Usability

Neither camera offers a dedicated electronic or optical viewfinder, which, if you enjoy eye-level shooting in bright outdoor conditions, could be a deal-breaker.

Instead, both rely on their rear LCD screens for composition and menu navigation:

• Canon SX510 HS sports a 3-inch fixed TFT LCD with 461k dots.
• Samsung WB350F features a 3-inch fixed touchscreen LCD with 460k dots.

The similar resolution translates to comparable sharpness, but Samsung’s touchscreen adds a layer of responsiveness absent on the Canon. For users who appreciate quick tap focusing or intuitive menu navigation - especially when shooting on the go - the WB350F’s touchscreen is a major productivity booster.

That said, tactile physical buttons on the Canon facilitate discreet adjustments without taking your eye entirely off the subject. I’ve found in fast-paced shooting scenarios, physical dials and buttons often win over touchscreens, especially if you wear gloves or have sweaty fingers.

Zoom Lenses: Extending the Reach

If superzoom is your game, the lenses deserve a starring role:

• Canon SX510 HS features a 24–720mm (30x optical zoom) f/3.4–5.8 lens.
• Samsung WB350F offers a 23–483mm (21x optical zoom) f/2.8–5.9 lens.

The Canon’s zoom gives you an incredibly extended reach - ideal for wildlife enthusiasts or sports spectators needing to bring distant action up close. The trade-off? Its narrower maximum aperture, especially at telephoto, means less light gathering and more potential for camera shake without stabilization.

Samsung counters with a slightly brighter wide end (f/2.8 vs. Canon’s f/3.4), better suited for indoor, street, or low-light wide shots. However, its zoom tops out at 483mm equivalent - not as impressive to reach those far-flung subjects but plenty versatile for travel or casual shooting.

Both have optical image stabilization, crucial for mitigating hand shake at longer focal lengths. From practical field tests, Canon’s system shows marginally more consistent performance, allowing usable shots at slower shutter speeds up to full zoom.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Lock and Load

Superzooms from this era don’t claim blazing speed, but autofocus and burst shooting matter when you’re chasing wildlife, kids, or any fast action.

The Canon employs a contrast-detection AF system with a single autofocus point, face detection, and basic tracking. Samsung’s AF system is similar, but lacks face detection or live view autofocus support.

In hands-on tests:

• Canon SX510 locks focus more reliably and faster, especially in good light. Its face detection works decently for portraits.
• Samsung’s AF feels a bit slower and prone to hunting in complex scenes, with no focus tracking to assist.

When it comes to continuous shooting:

• Canon: 4 fps burst - that’s unimpressive but acceptable for entry-level superzooms.
• Samsung: No official specification provided; real-world tests suggest slower continuous capture.

For sports or wildlife photographers, Canon’s modest burst is workable, but neither camera will satisfy pro-level needs here.

Battery Life and Storage: Keeping You Snapping

Nothing sours a shoot like a dead battery or card full warning.

• Canon uses the NB-6LH rechargeable battery, rated around 250 shots per charge.
• Samsung uses the SLB-10A battery; official life unspecified but in practice roughly similar or a bit less - closer to about 200-230 shots.

If you’re shooting heavily outdoors, bringing a spare battery is advisable for either, especially given their modest capacities.

Storage-wise:

• Canon supports SD / SDHC / SDXC cards.
• Samsung uses smaller MicroSD / MicroSDHC / MicroSDXC cards.

In my experience, full-size SD media is generally more robust and less likely to get lost or damaged. Samsung’s MicroSD preference is a double-edged sword: it saves space but often means slower cards and easier misplacement. Something to consider for travel photographers.

Connectivity and Sharing: Social Snapping

Both models sport built-in Wi-Fi, enabling remote control and image sharing without the middleman. However, Samsung ups the ante slightly with NFC, making pairing a breeze with compatible phones - especially handy when you’re tired of fiddling with passwords.

Neither offers Bluetooth or GPS tagging, which is standard for this camera class and era but a limitation if you crave smart geo-tagging or speedier connectivity.

Build Quality and Durability: Can They Handle the Real World?

Neither camera is weather-sealed or ruggedized, which is pretty standard fare for compact superzooms in this price and age range.

• Canon SX510 HS feels more solid and substantial in hand.
• Samsung WB350F is lighter but also more plasticky in the grip areas.

If you’re a careful user, both will last fine. If you shoot hiking, in dusty or rainy conditions - well, both will need some extra care.

Real-World Performance Across Photography Genres

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty - how do these cameras fare when pushed to their photographic paces in various genres?

Canon SX510 HS front Canon SX510 HS screen back Samsung WB350F front Samsung WB350F screen back

Portrait Photography

For portraits, pleasing skin tones, sharp eyes, and creamy bokeh are key.

Unfortunately, with these tiny sensors and variable aperture lenses, neither camera delivers true shallow depth of field 'bokeh' artistry. The Canon edges past Samsung here thanks to better face detection autofocus and slightly warmer color rendition, lending more flattering skin tones.

Landscape Photography

Landscapes demand dynamic range and resolution.

Samsung's higher 16MP sensor offers a bit more cropping potential, but in terms of dynamic range, both lag behind larger sensor cameras. Canon’s noise performance at base ISO offers cleaner shadows, useful for detailed scenes with mixed lighting.

Lack of weather sealing is a bummer for landscape photographers trekking through variable conditions.

Wildlife Photography

For wildlife, reach and autofocus speed are paramount.

Canon’s 30x zoom extending to 720mm equivalent is a massive advantage here. Its faster autofocus and image stabilization allow better captures of skittish animals in natural settings. Samsung’s 21x zoom limits framing flexibility.

Burst speed is modest in both, but Canon’s 4 fps gives a fighting chance for action sequences.

Sports Photography

Both models struggle for serious sports action capture - the burst rates and autofocus systems simply aren’t up to professional demands.

However, Canon’s better continuous AF and faster shutter speeds provide somewhat more consistent results with casual sports or kids’ birthday parties.

Street Photography

Street shooters love discretion, speed, and low-light performance.

Samsung’s smaller size and lightweight design beat Canon’s heft here - better for candid shots on the sly.

On low-light, neither is stellar, but Samsung's brighter f/2.8 aperture at wide angle helps indoors and evening scenes.

Macro Photography

Close-up work demands precise focusing and magnification.

Canon claims a 0cm macro focusing range (meaning it can focus very close), but in practice, neither camera shines as a macro specialist; Samsung does not specify a macro range.

Manual focus on both is sluggish and imprecise for macro work, so neither is ideal unless you simply want casual close-ups.

Night and Astrophotography

High ISO performance and long exposure controls are important.

• Canon offers a minimum shutter speed of 15 seconds, Samsung 16 seconds.
• Both max out at ISO 3200, but Canon handles noise better at higher ISOs.
• Exposure modes support manual control, but lack bulb mode limits star trail shooting.

Overall, Canon appears more capable for nightscape enthusiasts dabbling in astrophotography.

Video Capabilities

Both can shoot Full HD 1080p video but:

• Canon: 1920 x 1080 at 24 fps, MPEG-4/H.264 codecs.
• Samsung: 1920 x 1080 fps unspecified, output codec unspecified.

Neither has microphone or headphone ports, limiting sound quality upgrades. Canon’s Digic 4 processor slightly favors smoother video encoding.

No 4K or slow-motion options here - which is unsurprising at their price and age.

Travel Photography

Here, versatility, size, battery, and lens matter.

Samsung’s slimmer form factor and lighter weight make it a better travel companion by sheer portability.

Canon offers longer zoom reach, more shooting flexibility, and better battery life - important if you want more from your travel images rather than just snapshots.

Professional Work

Neither camera caters strongly to professionals. They lack Raw capture for true post-processing flexibility, robust lens systems, or ergonomics suited for heavy daily use.

Technical Summary: Putting the Specs Through Their Paces

Who Should Buy Which? Tailored Recommendations

Choose the Canon PowerShot SX510 HS if you:

• Want the longest possible zoom stretch for wildlife, sports, or distant landscapes.
• Prefer better manual control and physical buttons.
• Need smoother autofocus and modest continuous shooting.
• Value slightly better noise control and dynamic range.
• Don’t mind carrying a slightly heavier camera.
• Are OK without touchscreen control.

Pick the Samsung WB350F if you:

• Prioritize pocketability, lighter weight, and sleek design.
• Enjoy touchscreen operation and NFC connectivity for quick sharing.
• Shoot mostly wide-angle scenes and street photography.
• Want a brighter aperture at wide angle for low-light indoors.
• Favor a more modern interface over physical controls.
• Would rather have a compact camera that slips easily into daily carry.

Wrapping Up: The Verdict on These Compact Zoomers

The Canon SX510 HS and Samsung WB350F are classic examples of the trade-offs you face in small sensor superzooms from the early 2010s. The Canon leans toward those who prize reach, reliability, and moderate manual control, rewarding photographers who invest time in understanding its somewhat heftier, tactile design. The Samsung courts the casual, app-savvy, and street-focused users eager for portability and connectivity, albeit with compromises in zoom reach and autofocus speed.

Neither camera will replace larger sensor models or mirrorless systems, but for enthusiasts on a budget wanting a glorified “zoom and go” compact with respectable image quality, both deliver surprises beyond their price points.

So, whether you seek to stalk wildlife through the lens or simply capture the city’s candid moments - both cameras can be faithful companions, provided you know their quirks. I’ve enjoyed putting these two through dozens of real-world tests and sharing the nuances with you. Now, the next shot is yours.

Further Reading and Alternatives

If you found this comparison intriguing but are curious about successors or alternative superzoom compacts (say, the Canon SX520 HS or Sony HX80), those models offer incremental improvements in sensor tech, autofocus, and 4K video that's worth exploring.

Feel free to drop questions or share your own experience shooting with these cameras - every perspective enriches our collective photo journey!

Happy Shooting!