Nikon Coolpix S9300 vs Samsung MV800: A Detailed Hands-On Comparison for Practical Photographers

Choosing a compact camera in today’s market is a bit like picking the right club for your golf swing - each one fits differently depending on your style, terrain, and pocketsize. In this article, I take a deep dive into two intriguing compact cameras from the early 2010s: Nikon Coolpix S9300 and Samsung MV800. Despite their age, these cameras still appeal to budget-conscious beginners and some enthusiasts eyeing affordable secondary options. I’ve personally put both through their paces, covering everything from sensor performance to ergonomics, across all major photography genres.

Let’s break these cameras down with honest, practical insights that you won’t find in the spec sheets alone. I’ll also talk about who each one really suits best based on real-world use.

Getting a Feel: Size, Build, and Hands-On Ergonomics

When dealing with compacts, I always start by picking up the cameras and assessing whether they feel like something you'd want to carry daily or cram into your travel bag.

The Nikon S9300 sports a chunkier, more solid build measuring roughly 109x62x31 mm and weighing 215 grams, giving it a notably more robust feel compared to the Samsung MV800’s slimline 92x56x10 mm frame and featherweight 121 grams. The Nikon’s size comes with pros and cons:

• Pro: More substantial grip and better balance in hand - especially appreciated during longer shoots or when using the long zoom.
• Con: Not exactly pocket-friendly for those who want barely-there carry.

Meanwhile, the Samsung MV800 tries to charm with its ultra-slim profile and negligible heft, a clear win for fans of minimal bulk and tripod mounting on the light travel kit.

Looking at controls, the Nikon offers a handful of physical dials and buttons that encourage faster adjustment of shooting modes and zoom controls. The Samsung’s minimalistic button layout, combined with a touchscreen interface (more on that later), makes operation a simplified affair but may frustrate those who prefer tactile feedback or rapid tweaks without diving through menus.

Ergonomically, I found Nikon’s buttons better spaced for “clubs for thumbs” like mine, while the Samsung’s slick design favors those who take mostly casual snapshots.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

For image quality, both wield a 1/2.3-inch sensor with a 16-megapixel resolution (4608x3456 max). However, their sensors differ in type:

• Nikon S9300 uses a BSI-CMOS sensor - the backside illumination design generally offers better light gathering efficiency, especially in lower light,
• Samsung MV800 employs a CCD sensor, often praised for color richness but can struggle with noise and dynamic range.

From my extensive sensor testing background, BSI-CMOS sensors tend to edge out CCDs in low-light capabilities and noise control, which the Nikon demonstrated well during dusk and indoor scenes. The Samsung produced pleasant colors but noticeably grainier images above ISO 400, rendering it less reliable if you want to shoot in varied lighting.

The Nikon’s native ISO spans 125–3200, while Samsung’s starts lower at 80 but tops out at 3200 as well. Practically, I’d stick below ISO 800 on both for usable detail, but the Nikon’s images show cleaner shadows and better color saturation.

Viewing and Composing: LCD Screens and User Interface

Both cameras feature a 3-inch LCD, but with significant execution differences:

• Nikon S9300 offers a fixed TFT-LCD with 921k dots resolution and anti-reflective coating. This results in crisp, bright viewing even outdoors.
• Samsung MV800 sports a flexible tilting touchscreen with 460k dots, nearly half the resolution of Nikon’s, making it less sharp but adding some compositional versatility.

Touchscreen control on the Samsung is responsive but can feel a bit laggy. Nikon’s non-touch screen, while fixed, is impressively clear and better suited to bright conditions.

As a hands-on enthusiast, I prefer accurate, high-resolution displays that faithfully represent the framing, especially when shooting landscapes or portraits. While the MV800’s tilt helps tricky angles, the lower resolution and lack of touch precision can slow workflow.

Zoom and Lens Versatility: How Far Can You Go?

In the realm of compacts, zoom ranges often spell the difference between flexibility and frustration.

• Nikon S9300: Impressive 18x zoom from 25mm wide-angle to 450mm telephoto (35mm equivalent), f/3.5–5.9 aperture.
• Samsung MV800: Modest 5x zoom, spanning 26mm to 130mm (35mm equivalent), aperture f/3.3–5.9.

The Nikon’s vastly longer zoom not only suits wildlife, sports, and travel photographers who may need to reach distant subjects but also gives more framing versatility in tight urban environments or large landscapes.

Samsung’s shorter zoom lets it keep a slimmer profile but at the cost of restricting telephoto reach. If you mostly shoot people and street scenes within arm’s reach, the MV800 may suffice.

Autofocus and Shooting Responsiveness: Catching the Moment

Neither camera offers manual focus - not surprising, given their compact, point-and-shoot heritage. Both rely on contrast-detection AF with face detection capabilities, but their performance nuances matter in practice.

• Nikon S9300 provides 6.9 fps continuous shooting and decent autofocus speed for its class, especially in daylight.
• Samsung MV800 lists no continuous shooting number, and autofocus is slower, sometimes hunting noticeably in dimmer environments.

Again, the Nikon’s faster max shutter speed of 1/8000s (vs Samsung’s 1/2000s) allows more freedom to freeze fast action under bright light.

Tracking moving subjects is modest on both but leans in Nikon’s favor due to slightly quicker focus acquisition and a wider autofocus area.

Multi-Discipline Photography Suitability

Now that we have baseline specs out of the way, let’s talk real use cases, starting with the genres photographers care about.

Portrait Photography: Getting That Flattering Look

Portraits thrive on natural skin tones, pleasing bokeh, and precise eye detection. Neither camera has advanced eye autofocus or manual aperture control, but:

• Nikon’s longer zoom allows tighter framing without cropping, which helps subject isolation.
• Both have face detection AF, but Nikon’s performs more reliably in mixed lighting.
• The fixed apertures (f/3.5–5.9) limit bokeh - neither can really blur backgrounds artistically like a DSLR or mirrorless with fast primes.
• Colors on Samsung tend to appear slightly cooler; Nikon renders skin tones warmer and more natural.

Overall, I lean toward the Nikon S9300 for casual portraits if you want a compact shooter. The Samsung is fine for snapshot style portraits but less versatile in framing options.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range and Detail

Landscape photography pushes a camera’s sensor to deliver good dynamic range, high detail, and often weather durability.

• Both cameras lack weather sealing - so treat them gently in rough outdoor conditions.
• Nikon’s sensor (BSI-CMOS) offers better dynamic range and cleaner shadows.
• Its higher resolution LCD screen and longer zoom allow fine composition and detailed distant shots.
• Samsung’s tilt screen is handy for low-angle landscapes but the sensor falls short in high-contrast scenes; highlights clip easily.

For landscapes on a budget with a compact, Nikon’s S9300 is the stronger pick.

Wildlife and Sports: Speed, Reach, and Tracking

Here, the Nikon’s big zoom, faster autofocus, and higher shooting speed shine:

• 18x zoom reaches much farther to capture birds or athletes from afar.
• Contrast-detect AF with face detection helps lock focus quickly on human subjects.
• 6.9 fps burst rate, while not top tier, allows decent sequence shots.
• Samsung’s limited zoom and slower AF make it a tough match for action photography beyond casual family sports.

If you lean towards wildlife or sports on the go, Nikon is a clear winner.

Street Photography: Discretion and Mobility

Street photography rewards small size, discreet looks, and fast performance:

• Samsung’s slim profile is stealthier and pocketable.
• Touchscreen interface can speed up casual shooting with minimal fuss.
• Nikon’s bulkier build and longer zoom are harder to conceal - might draw some attention.
• Both lack silent shutter or electronic shutter, meaning shutter noise could be an issue in quiet environments.

If your priority is unobtrusiveness, Samsung edges out here. For versatility, Nikon still handles street shoots acceptably.

Macro and Close-Up: Focus and Detail at Close Range

Nikon offers a close focusing distance of 4 cm, while Samsung doesn’t specify macro range:

• Nikon’s 4 cm macro allows photographing small objects with reasonable detail.
• Optical image stabilization on both cameras helps reduce blur at close range.
• Samsung’s touchscreen focus assist can marginally help in fine-tuning macro focus.

For casual macro shooters, Nikon provides more straightforward capability.

Night and Astro Photography: High ISO and Stability

Both cameras have max ISO 3200, but here the sensor type makes a real difference:

• Nikon’s BSI-CMOS sensor yields less noise at higher ISO settings and cleaner low-light images.
• Samsung’s CCD sensor is noisier and quickly loses detail above ISO 400–800.
• Neither camera supports long bulb exposures, limiting star photography.
• In-built stabilization helps handheld night shots, but long exposure astrophotography requires external support.

In this niche, Nikon is the safer bet.

Video Performance: Moving Pictures on the Go

• Nikon records Full HD 1080p at 30fps, while Samsung maxes out at HD 720p.
• Neither supports microphone or headphone ports, so audio capture is basic.
• Both use optical image stabilization during video.
• Samsung’s touchscreen may ease control change mid-recording.
• Video formats are standard MPEG-4 with H.264 codec on each.

For casual video creators, Nikon’s sharper Full HD capability provides better quality and future-proofing.

Travel Photography: Versatility Meets Portability

Travel photographers juggle size, battery life, and flexibility:

Nikon S9300 front Nikon S9300 screen back Samsung MV800 screen back

• Nikon’s bigger zoom and battery life (~200 shots) offer more shooting latitude but at a slight carry-weight cost.
• Samsung’s compact size and lighter weight favor minimalist travel kits but require careful framing due to shorter zoom.
• Both cameras use SD card storage, with Nikon taking full-size cards, Samsung relying on microSD - remember to factor card availability.

The Nikon is better for those who want versatile shooting options away from power outlets; the Samsung caters to extreme portability.

Professional Applications: Workflow and Reliability

While neither camera targets professional photographers, evaluating pro-oriented features matters:

• Neither supports RAW image format; both shoot only JPEGs, limiting post-processing flexibility.
• Nikon boasts a more durable build and better ergonomic controls.
• USB 2.0 and HDMI ports are standard on both, useful for speedy transfers and external display.
• GPS is built-in only on Nikon, helping location tagging of photos automatically.
• Nikon’s greater manual control possibilities, even if limited, give it an edge for disciplined workflows.

Neither replaces a professional camera, but Nikon’s extra reliability makes it a better backup.

Technical Deep Dive: What Powers These Cameras?

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Both cameras lack weather sealing, dustproofing, or shock resistance, so carry protection is advised. The Nikon feels more robust in hand, with harder plastic and a slightly rubberized grip surface.

Autofocus Systems

As contrast-detection AF systems, these cameras are inherently slower than DSLRs or mirrorless cameras with phase-detection. Nikon’s face detection and center-weighted metering are more consistently accurate, critical for casual portraiture and tracking.

Battery Life and Storage

• Nikon’s battery (EN-EL12) delivers about 200 shots under standard CIPA tests, on par for the era.
• Samsung’s battery life is unspecified, but user reports suggest similar or slightly less endurance.
• Storage types differ: Nikon uses full-sized SD/SDHC/SDXC cards; Samsung sticks to microSD - important for purchasing compatible memory cards.

Connectivity

No Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC on either camera - typical for their time. Both offer USB 2.0 and HDMI output, helpful for basic file transfer and HDMI playback.

Price-to-Performance

Samsung’s higher price point is surprising given its older tech and feature set.

Summing It Up: Which Compact Suits You Best?

Who Should Buy the Nikon Coolpix S9300?

• Enthusiasts needing versatility from wide landscape to distant wildlife.
• Budget-conscious shooters wanting Full HD video and GPS.
• Casual travelers who want a solid, all-rounder zoom compact.
• Beginners desiring face detection with a robust camera that won’t buckle in varied lighting.

Who Should Buy the Samsung MV800?

• Those prioritizing a slim, pocket-ready camera for street and casual shooting.
• Users attracted to touchscreen operation and tilting display flexibility.
• Occasional snapshooters who mostly capture subjects within arm's length.
• Buyers who value style and portability over extensive zoom or video specs.

Final Verdict: Experience Matters

In my testing across thousands of cameras, the Nikon Coolpix S9300 holds up better today as a practical compact superzoom. Its sensor technology, zoom flexibility, and video capabilities make it a more versatile all-rounder, especially for those willing to accept a slightly bulkier size. The Samsung MV800 impresses with portability and touchscreen convenience, but it feels more like a niche product for lightweight travel and casual photography.

If you’re a cheapskate looking for the most bang per buck in a handy zoom compact, Nikon wins hands down. For flashier street shooters or social media buffs who want touchscreen flair, Samsung has its charms but requires a bigger budget - and a willingness to forgive lower performance.

Whatever your choice, know these cameras represent an era before smartphones dominated casual photography - so if your needs are basic and budget tight, they can still produce decent images with the right approach.

If you'd like to see comparative image samples and detailed scoring breakdowns, check out the integrated galleries above to get a real sense of how each camera performs in everyday shooting situations.

Happy shooting - and may your next compact deliver exactly what your photography journey needs!