Nikon Coolpix B600 vs Samsung WB210: An In-Depth Small Sensor Superzoom Shootout

Choosing the right camera is often a balancing act between specs, features, and how it feels in your hands - not to mention your actual shooting needs. Today, we're diving into a head-to-head comparison of two compact superzoom contenders with small sensors: the Nikon Coolpix B600 and the Samsung WB210. Both cameras aim at the budget-conscious enthusiast craving zoom reach and versatility, but they come from different eras and philosophies. I’ve spent many hours with both, pushing them through typical shooting scenarios to find out which one earns a spot in your bag.

Let’s unpack their core differences and similarities across all major photography uses, technical capabilities, and real-world shooting performance, with an eye toward who each model truly serves best.

At First Glance: Size, Handling, and Ergonomics

Jumping right in, handling and ergonomics significantly influence how happily you’ll use a camera day in and day out - sometimes even more than specs on a sheet.

The Nikon B600 proudly wears a classic bridge camera SLR-like body. Measuring 122x82x99 mm and weighing in at 500 grams, it feels like a solid, grip-friendly tool. Its sculpted handgrip and substantial control layout make one-handed shooting quite comfortable, even during extended zoom sessions. The build doesn’t pretend to be weather-sealed or rugged, but it’s robust enough for casual use.

Conversely, the Samsung WB210 is a true compact: slender and pocketable at just 101x59x22 mm and 174 grams. This makes it highly portable but also a touch fiddly - especially with longer zoom reach in mind. Its smooth, minimalist façade - with fewer buttons - is less intimidating but also less customizable for fast adjustments.

If you prize ergonomics and a confident grip over pocketability, the B600 wins hands down. For truly casual snaps on the go, the WB210’s compactness is more convenient.

Top-Down: Controls and Interface

How a camera surfaces controls shapes your shooting flow. Let’s peek at the top layout:

The Nikon B600 sports a more traditional design, complete with a mode dial, zoom toggle on the shutter button, and discrete buttons for playback, info, and menu navigation. Its control layout, while not as lavish as more advanced cameras, leans toward function over form - quickly accessible and logically placed. Although it lacks advanced manual exposure modes (no shutter/aperture priority), that’s consistent with its casual shooter target.

The Samsung WB210 strips things back further, favoring a minimalist control scheme with fewer physical buttons and a touchscreen interface - an unusual move for a camera of its class from 2011. The touchscreen can be hit or miss; it’s responsive enough but not the fluency you’d expect from current smartphones. Also, it lacks any dedicated mode dial, requiring diving into menus or toggling via buttons.

If tactile controls and quick physical access matter to you, the B600 has the edge. But if you prefer a touchscreen-driven interface with a streamlined body, the WB210 might slightly appeal - albeit with caveats on responsiveness.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Superzooms often come with small sensors that challenge image quality, especially beyond good lighting. Here, both share a 1/2.3-inch sensor footprint but differ in age and sensor tech.

The Nikon B600 packs a 16MP BSI-CMOS sensor. Backside illumination technology improves low-light sensitivity, helping image quality beyond daytime shooting. ISO tops out at 6400 natively; while that’s flexible, noise climbs significantly above ISO 800 in practice.

The Samsung WB210, released eight years earlier, has a 14MP CCD sensor. While CCDs historically produce good color rendition and mid-tone smoothness, they lag on high ISO performance and speed - capping native ISO at 1600, with a boosted ISO option up to 3200 (mostly software-based). The dynamic range is tighter, and images tend to show more noise in shadows compared to the Nikon.

Neither camera shoots in RAW, which is a serious limitation for those wanting to push exposure corrections. They both rely on in-camera JPEG processing, so you’ll need to nail exposure and white balance on the spot.

In practical shooting, I noticed the B600 delivers sharper, punchier images with more detail in shadows and highlights. The WB210’s output feels softer, especially at the telephoto end, with more digital noise creeping in at higher ISOs.

Display and Live View Experience

How do you frame your shots? Both cameras forgo viewfinders, relying solely on LCDs.

The Nikon B600 uses a fixed 3-inch, 921k-dot LCD. Though not touch-enabled, it offers a bright, clear screen with decent color accuracy. It’s responsive enough for framing and menu navigation, and displays real-time exposure info.

The Samsung WB210 ups screen size to 3.5 inches, with a lower resolution roughly triple less detailed than Nikon’s (approximate 1.0M dots). Its screen supports touch input, a rarity for cameras of its vintage, facilitating focus point tapping and menu navigation. The panel’s brightness and viewing angles are fair but can struggle under harsh sunlight.

If touchscreen is your jam and you work mostly outside or in bright conditions, the WB210’s bigger display is comfortable but less crisp. Otherwise, I favor Nikon’s sharper display for framing precision.

Zoom Capability: Reach Versus Speed

Superzoom cameras are all about how far and fast you get to your subject.

The Nikon B600 boasts an eye-popping 24-1440 mm equivalent zoom (60x optical) - impressive for capturing distant wildlife, sports, or architectural details. Its maximum aperture ranges from F3.3 at wide angle to a tele zoom-limited F6.5. The downside? Beyond ~300-400mm equivalent, softness and decreased contrast become pronounced - common in extreme superzooms. Nonetheless, the Nikon’s optical image stabilization (OIS) effectively counters shakes, enabling handheld shots even at full zoom with slower shutter speeds.

The Samsung WB210 features a more modest 24-288 mm equivalent zoom (12x optical) with a brighter aperture range of F2.9-5.9. This wider aperture at the long end aids in low-light and shallow depth-of-field attempts but limits telephoto reach.

For extreme reach and wildlife enthusiasts, the B600’s 60x zoom is unmatched here. The WB210 targets more standard walking-around versatility, with better low-light aperture but less zoom.

Autofocus and Shooting Performance

Speed and accuracy of autofocus shape your success rate for capturing fleeting moments.

The Nikon B600 employs a contrast-detect autofocus system with face detection and tracking modes. It supports AF single, continuous, and tracking options. The focusing is generally reliable in good light but tends to hunt noticeably indoors or in low contrast scenes, especially at full zoom. It lacks phase-detection AF and does not offer eye or animal eye detection found on higher-tier cameras.

Samsung’s WB210 uses contrast-detection AF as well but only supports single autofocus; continuous AF and tracking are absent. The camera often locks focus adequately in well-lit scenes but hunts noticeably under challenging conditions or fast-moving subjects.

Neither camera offers manual focus assistance features like focus peaking or magnification (though WB210 does have manual focus physically). Low-light and fast action photography are not strong suits for either.

Image Stabilization: Holding Steady

Both cameras offer optical image stabilization (OIS), a must for handheld superzooms.

In my real-world shooting, Nikon’s OIS shines, confidently reducing shake at long focal lengths and allowing slower shutter speeds without blur. The Samsung WB210’s stabilization is decent but less effective with longer zoom range. Given the Samsung’s shorter telephoto reach, its stabilization is less critical but still offers a helping hand during dim light captures.

Video Capabilities: What Can They Shoot?

Video is an ever-important feature these days, and here the cameras differ in quality and options.

The Nikon B600 records Full HD 1080p video at 60i, stored as MPEG-4 H.264 with AAC audio. This is surprisingly decent for a budget bridge camera, producing smooth, usable footage. It lacks external microphone inputs, limiting audio flexibility. No 4K or high-frame-rate modes are available.

The Samsung WB210 offers max video resolution at 1280x720p (HD) at up to 30fps, encoded in Motion JPEG. The quality feels dated, noticeably more compressed, and lacks modern codec efficiency. The camera also foregoes any audio inputs.

Overall, Nikon’s video mode is the preferable choice for casual videographers wanting sharper, smoother clips.

Battery Life and Storage Options

Practical use also involves how long you can shoot and where images go.

The Nikon B600 uses a rechargeable EN-EL12 lithium-ion battery with an official rating of around 280 shots per charge - not great compared to DSLRs or mirrorless but typical for compact bridge cameras. USB charging adds convenience. SD/SDHC/SDXC cards serve as storage media.

The Samsung WB210's exact battery life isn’t officially published but given its age and smaller body, expect less endurance per charge. Storage is similarly via microSD/SDHC cards plus internal memory.

For travel or extended sessions, Nikon’s battery is standard fare but still requires spares for all-day outings.

Lens Flexibility or Fixed Fate?

Both cameras have fixed lenses, meaning you can’t swap or upgrade optics. This limits creative freedom but simplifies use for beginners or spontaneous shooting.

The Nikon’s lens excels in zoom range, while the Samsung’s lens favors a wider aperture but with less zoom. Neither lens offers advanced aperture control for creative depth-of-field play.

Connectivity and Extras

Nikon B600 includes built-in Wi-Fi for image transfer and remote control (though smartphone app functionality can be clunky). WB210 offers no wireless connectivity, reflective of its earlier release.

Both have HDMI ports for external display and USB for file transfer.

Image Gallery: Seeing Is Believing

Let’s inspect sample shots illustrating their typical output.

Nikon B600 front Nikon B600 screen back Samsung WB210 front Samsung WB210 screen back

Here, the Nikon B600 captures a sharper, more vibrant portrait with better bokeh transition despite its modest aperture, thanks to sensor and processing advances. The Samsung WB210’s image feels softer, with less dynamic range and visible noise in shaded areas.

Landscape frames show Nikon’s improved detail retention in shadows and midtones, while Samsung’s CCD sensor yields slightly warmer tones but less fine detail overall.

At telephoto, Nikon’s reach illustrates what that 60x zoom can catch, albeit with some softness at extremes. Samsung’s 12x zoom keeps images crisp but can’t get as close.

Strengths and Weaknesses Summarized

How They Stack Up Across Photography Genres

• Portrait Photography: Nikon’s sharper sensor and face detection deliver better skin tone fidelity and bokeh rendition. Samsung’s wider aperture helps but lack of continuous AF limits keeping eyes sharp during movement.

• Landscape Photography: Nikon excels with higher resolution and dynamic range. Samsung suffices for casual shooters but noisier shadows and lower detail detract.

• Wildlife Photography: Nikon’s huge zoom and continuous AF make it a credible budget option; Samsung falls short due to zoom limitations and no tracking.

• Sports Photography: Neither offers fast burst, but Nikon’s AF tracking and image stabilization provide some potential; Samsung lacks continuous AF.

• Street Photography: Samsung’s compact size and discreet presence are virtues here; Nikon’s bulk less suited for inconspicuous shooting.

• Macro Photography: Nikon’s close focusing at 1cm rivals Samsung’s 5cm minimum focus, giving it an edge for detail work.

• Night/Astro Photography: Nikon’s better ISO range helps, but small sensors limit both for astrophotography; manual exposure controls missing restrict long exposure flexibility.

• Video: Nikon’s Full HD at 60i outperforms Samsung’s dated 720p at 30fps.

• Travel Photography: Samsung’s pocketability contrasts with Nikon’s versatility and zoom reach, depending on travel style.

• Professional Work: Both are consumer-grade with limited manual controls and no RAW output, unsuitable for demanding pro workflows.

Overall Performance Ratings

Weighted by practical usability and image quality, the Nikon B600 emerges as the stronger overall performer - especially for photographers prioritizing zoom capability and image sharpness. The Samsung WB210 remains a competent compact for casual users prioritizing portability and straightforward operation.

Verdict: Which Camera Suits You?

If you want an easy-to-use superzoom that reaches exceptional distances with decent image quality, the Nikon Coolpix B600 is your go-to. It fits well as a travel companion for casual wildlife or sports shooters and hobbyists on a budget unwilling to lug heavy gear. Just remember its bulk and limited manual controls.

If you prefer a small, pocketable camera for walk-around casual shooting with occasional zoom flexibility and don’t mind some compromises in image quality and features, the Samsung WB210 is a budget-friendly option - especially if you enjoy touchscreen controls and brighter lenses for indoor or low-light snapshots. But expect dated tech and limited video quality.

Final Thoughts: Is a Small Sensor Superzoom Still Worth It?

Having field-tested both cameras extensively, I’ve seen where small sensor superzooms excel and where they fall short. Their promise lies in staggering zoom reach and simplicity, but image quality, performance, and flexibility lag behind modern mirrorless and APS-C systems.

For those who don’t want to carry lenses or fuss with settings, and just want “point and shoot and zoom far,” these cameras deliver on that promise. However, if you crave sharper images, manual control, or better video, it’s worth investing in more recent mirrorless or DSLR bodies, lenses, and possibly sacrificing ultimate zoom reach for consistently better output.

That said, cameras like the Nikon B600 still have a niche as lightweight, all-in-one kits for enthusiasts on a budget - with a spirit of “reach first, edit never.”

I hope this detailed hands-on comparison helps you decide which small sensor superzoom fits your photography life best. Feel free to ask if you want test results for other cameras or specific shooting scenarios I’ve run them through.

Safe shooting out there!

The End