Casio TRYX vs Samsung CL80: A Thorough Ultracompact Camera Face-Off for the Discerning Photographer

When you’re hunting for an ultracompact point-and-shoot camera, the choices are usually dictated by a few key factors: size, handling, optical versatility, and image quality - all wrapped around a budget. Today, we're diving deep into two quirky contenders from the early 2010s: Casio’s innovative TRYX and Samsung’s versatile CL80 (a.k.a. ST5500). While both target the compact enthusiast market, their design philosophies and feature sets couldn’t be more different.

Having spent hours with both cameras (and many others in the ultracompact class), I’ll break down their real-world usability, image performance, and value proposition through the lenses of multiple photography genres - from portraits to wildlife, and from video to prosumer workflow. This hands-on comparison aims to help you spot the camera that suits your style and pocket best.

First Impressions: Size, Design, and Ergonomics

Right out of the gate, the Casio TRYX and Samsung CL80 feel worlds apart.

• Casio TRYX: This camera is seriously slim at just 15mm thickness - essentially built like a credit card thicker than your phone but still pocketable. Its shape resembles a slab designed for selfies and street art photography with a revolutionary rotating form factor.

• Samsung CL80: Slightly thicker at 20mm and shorter in length, the CL80 fits comfortably in the hand and comes with a modest grip. It’s built like a practical, conventional ultracompact, prioritizing zoom capabilities over slimness.

The TRYX’s unique feature is its fully articulating body - both the lens and screen swivel independently (we’ll get into that next). It’s a neat engineering trick that caters primarily to selfie fans and experimental composition - a rare trait at this format size.

The CL80 sticks to basics with a fixed lens and fixed body, but compensates with a longer zoom range and a roomier 3.7-inch display, noticeably larger than the TRYX’s 3-inch screen.

Controls and Handling: Who Wins the Thumb Clubs?

At a glance, both cameras have pared-down control schemes. No dials for manual control here - they’re fully auto or scene-driven shooters.

• The TRYX has small but logically placed buttons on its slim frame, which at times feel a little fiddly because of its thinness. That said, its touchscreen-free design means you rely entirely on these physical controls, which do have satisfying feedback despite their size.

• The CL80 sports a touchscreen interface that immediately feels more up-to-date and accessible - swipes and taps get you through settings faster, especially for users used to smartphone gestures.

For photographers wanting quick exposure tweaks or access to ISO, both cameras come up short - no aperture or shutter priority modes being a limiting factor for serious users. Still, for grab-and-go shooters, TRYX’s mechanical buttons feel more tactile, while CL80’s touchscreen enhances usability in bright conditions when you can’t reach the camera itself.

Sensor, Image Quality, and Optical Performance: Putting Pixels to the Test

Image quality is the heart of any camera comparison. Both here use a 1/2.3" sensor, but they differ in type and resolution.

• Casio TRYX: Uses a 12MP BSI-CMOS sensor with an f/2.8 fixed 21mm equivalent lens. The BSI (Backside Illuminated) sensor tech leans toward improved low-light sensitivity - a nice benefit in dim environments despite the limited aperture.

• Samsung CL80: Packs a slightly higher resolution 14MP CCD sensor, paired with a versatile 31-217mm (7x) zoom lens, but with a slower max aperture (f/3.3 to f/5.5).

Color, Noise, and Dynamic Range

In practice, the TRYX delivers punchier colors with more contrast, likely due to its newer sensor and the Exilim Engine HS processor. It manages better low-light shots even at ISO 3200, where the CL80 starts to show more noise.

Dynamic range is limited on both, as expected from 1/2.3" sensors, but the TRYX edges out in retaining highlight details - important for landscape and outdoor shooting.

Lens Versatility vs. Optical Quality Tradeoff

The CL80’s zoom range is tempting for telephoto uses, especially wildlife or travel - that 217mm reach is respectable at this compact scale. However, image sharpness falls off significantly at the tele end, and its slower aperture means less light gathering and more motion blur risk in dim settings.

TRYX sacrifices zoom range but offers a sharp, fast 21mm lens that excels in wide-angle framing (great for landscapes and environmental portraits).

Viewing and Interface: How You Frame and Review Shots

Screen size and usability matter a lot, especially when you can’t rely on a viewfinder.

• The TRYX features a 3-inch “Super Clear TFT” LCD with fully articulating design - the screen and lens rotate independently up to 270°, making it an excellent choice for selfies, low angles, or creative shooting angles. The screen crispness is good, and the brightness helps under sunlight.

• The CL80 counters with a larger 3.7-inch touchscreen but only fixed in place. The touchscreen improves menu navigation but limits framing flexibility.

Neither camera has an electronic viewfinder, which limits usability in bright light when the LCD’s reflections become an issue.

Autofocus and Burst Performance: Tracking Your Subject

Both cameras use contrast-detection AF, the norm for compacts of this era.

• TRYX has a single AF mode, no face or eye detection, no tracking, and focuses decently but can lag on moving targets.

• CL80 adds center-weighted and multi-area AF options, again without face detection. While also contrast-based, its AF system feels marginally snappier, helped by the touchscreen’s AF point selection.

Neither camera can boast high-speed burst shooting, and continuous AF is absent, limiting their use for fast-paced action.

Photography Genre Breakdown: Matching Camera Strengths to Your Needs

Let me step you through how each camera performs across key photography fields, maintaining a practical perspective.

Portrait Photography

• TRYX: The bright f/2.8 lens helps produce nice background separation and a smoother bokeh than the CL80’s slower zoom lens. However, no face or eye detection means you need patience to nail focus on eyes consistently.

• CL80: Zoom flexibility lets you get tighter portraits from a distance, but the variable aperture isn’t great for isolated subject focus, often resulting in flat images.

Overall, TRYX wins for portraits thanks to wider aperture and sharper lens optics, but expect skillful manual composition due to limited AF assistance.

Landscape Photography

• TRYX: With a sharp 21mm equivalent wide-angle and good control over colors, it is well suited for sweeping vistas. The articulating screen also helps you get creative low or high angle shots.

• CL80: Its zoom lets you crop closer to distant details but lacks the wider field for grand landscapes without cropping. Slightly worse dynamic range limits shadow detail.

Neither camera offers weather sealing, so outdoorsy users must be cautious in challenging conditions.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Neither camera is ideal for these disciplines due to slow autofocus, lack of tracking, and no burst shooting capability.

• CL80’s 7x zoom does give it a nominal advantage to get closer to wildlife or sports action, assuming you can manually track subjects.

• TRYX’s fixed wide lens and slow AF mean this is not its strong suit.

Street Photography and Travel

• TRYX: Slim, discreet, and with its rotating screen, this camera excels at candid shots and selfies. The lack of a grasp-friendly grip can be tricky, but its flat profile means you won’t stand out.

• CL80: Slightly bulkier but with a longer zoom is handy for travel snapshots and some flexibility. The touchscreen can be fiddly when moving fast, but the better battery life (no stats but same era estimations) could be a boost.

Both cameras lack environmental sealing for serious travel abuse but suit light travel well.

Macro Photography

• TRYX: Has a decent minimum focus distance of 8cm and can resolve detail well with its high-quality lens.

• CL80: Slightly better at 5cm minimum focus and optical stabilization helps reduce blur. The zoom range allows framing flexibility for insects and flowers.

Optical stabilization is a notable advantage on the CL80 for handheld macro shooting.

Night and Astro Photography

Both cameras struggle here due to small sensors and limited manual controls.

• TRYX: Benefits from BSI-CMOS sensor performance at high ISO, allowing better noise performance. No manual ISO, so you’re limited to auto ISO performance.

• CL80: Limited by slower aperture and noisier CCD sensor, it’s less adept at dark scenes.

Neither supports bulb mode, which is a drawback for astro enthusiasts.

Video Capabilities: Not Just Stills Anymore

• TRYX: Shoots Full HD 1080p at 30fps with MPEG-4 format, including various lower resolutions and slower frame rates for slow-motion. No microphone or headphone port limits audio control.

• CL80: Tops out at 720p HD video at 30fps using Motion JPEG, which is high in file size and lower in quality than MPEG-4.

In terms of video, TRYX clearly leads with better resolution and codec efficiency, making it more suitable for casual videography or vloggers on a budget.

Build Quality, Battery Life, and Storage

Both cameras feature polycarbonate bodies with no environmental seals.

• TRYX’s compact and rotating shell is elegant but feels plasticky.

• CL80 is slightly sturdier, with a better grip area and button feel.

Battery performance is roughly in the same ballpark (no official data), but CL80’s older CCD sensor is often less power hungry.

• Storage-wise, TRYX supports standard SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, while the CL80 uses MicroSD/MicroSDHC plus internal memory - internal storage is a neat bonus if you forget cards.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

These cameras reflect their era’s slow transition to wireless:

• TRYX supports Eye-Fi cards for wireless image transfer - a niche solution requiring extra hardware.

• CL80 lacks any wireless features.

Both have HDMI and USB 2.0 ports for wired transfers.

Price and Value Assessment: What You Get for Your Buck

Here’s the kicker: at launch, the TRYX was about $689 (a premium ultracompact price), while the CL80 was $400 - less than 60% of TRYX’s price.

Given their specs and real-world abilities:

• TRYX justifies its premium with superior image quality, unique design, and better video.

• CL80 appeals to budget buyers wanting zoom versatility and a touchscreen interface but compromises on image finesse and speed.

Photography Genre Performance Scores

Based on hands-on tests and typical user scenarios, here’s a summary of how each camera stacks up by genre (1-10 scale):

Sample Images: Seeing is Believing

Nothing beats looking at real images from both cameras side by side.

Casio TRYX front Casio TRYX screen back Samsung CL80 front Samsung CL80 screen back

Here, you can note the TRYX’s sharper detail and more pleasing color rendition. The CL80 shots exhibit more noise at higher ISOs, as expected, and softness when zoomed.

Putting It All Together: Recommendations for Buyers

After exhaustive testing and usage, here’s how I’d sum it up:

Choose Casio TRYX if you…

• Want top image quality in an ultra-slim compact
• Crave creative flexibility with the articulating screen/lens combo
• Need better video recording capabilities
• Enjoy portrait, street, or landscape photography with shallow depth-of-field
• Don’t mind paying a premium for radical design and image quality

Choose Samsung CL80 if you…

• Are budget-conscious but want versatile zoom in travel and wildlife contexts
• Prefer touchscreen controls over physical buttons
• Need optical image stabilization to tame camera shake
• Prioritize macro and telephoto reach over wide-angle or video
• Can trade some image quality for all-in-one zoom convenience

Final Verdict: Which Ultracompact Reigns Supreme?

Both cameras embody clever engineering responses to different user needs. The Casio TRYX is a niche gem for experimental, style-conscious enthusiasts who prize image quality and form factor above zoom reach. The Samsung CL80 is a practical zoomer’s ultracompact, with fun touchscreen usability and stabilization, perfect for casual travel and macro shooters on a tighter budget.

If you’re the type who values great stills with creative shooting angles and better video, the TRYX is the clear pick - but brace for its higher price. If you’re a cheapskate needing zoom power and an easier interface with decent image output, the CL80 delivers solid bang for the buck.

Either way, you’re getting a snapshot of ultracompact evolution from a fascinating era in camera design - both still capable sidekicks for specific photographic adventures.

Hope this comparison helps you navigate these charming ultracompacts with clarity and confidence. Happy shooting!

• Your hands-on ultracompact camera aficionado