Nikon Z30 vs Samsung NX500: A Hands-On Comparison of Two Entry-Level Mirrorless Contenders

For photographers on the hunt for a competent, budget-friendly mirrorless camera, the Nikon Z30 and Samsung NX500 present two compelling options from different eras of mirrorless innovation. Both cameras fall under the entry-level category yet come with distinct feature sets and quirks shaped by their design philosophies and release timelines. Having put both through real-world shooting scenarios - from portraits and landscapes to video and street photography - I’m ready to dive deep into how they stack up - strengths, weaknesses, and what type of user each best serves.

If you’re scouting for your next camera and juggling the Nikon Z30 and Samsung NX500, my goal here is to cut through the spec sheet clutter and deliver hands-on insights backed by years of camera testing. Let’s get to it.

First Impressions: How They Feel in Your Hands and Controls

I always say: a camera’s physical feel is just as important as its image quality. Why? Because if the controls don’t flow, or the body feels awkward, you’ll miss shots no matter how good the sensor is.

Here’s a physical size and ergonomics comparison to start:

The Nikon Z30 has a more traditional SLR-style mirrorless body, showing modest bulk but with a solid grip that fits comfortably in my average-sized hands. Its weight of 405 grams strikes a good balance - not too heavy for extended shoots, but enough heft to feel stable. The Samsung NX500, meanwhile, leans toward a smaller rangefinder-style design, shaving almost 120 grams and with a slimmer 43mm depth. It’s noticeably more pocketable and discrete, which is a big plus for street shooters and travelers.

Looking at the top view controls, these differences become more apparent in handling style:

The Z30 carries more traditional mode dials and buttons, laid out intuitively for photographers shifting from DSLRs. This makes manual exposure and aperture adjustments ergonomic, and there are dedicated controls for continuous shooting and exposure compensation. Samsung’s NX500 opts for a minimalist, sleek look, but that means fewer physical buttons and less direct access to certain functions - leaning heavily on menu diving and touchscreen operation.

If you’re a hands-on shutterbug who loves dial clubs for thumbs and quick adjustments, the Nikon’s ergonomics will likely appeal more. For those prioritizing lightness and discretion, Samsung’s approach has its charm.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Both cameras pack APS-C-sized sensors measuring 23.5 x 15.7mm with a 1.5x crop factor, but that’s where the similarity ends. Here’s a visual to highlight their sensor specs and resulting image resolutions:

The Samsung NX500 features a 28-megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor, notable for its back-side illumination design which enhances low-light gathering efficiency. The resolution peaks at an impressive 6480 x 4320 pixels, giving you big prints and plenty of cropping leeway. Meanwhile, the Nikon Z30 sports a 21.1-megapixel CMOS sensor without BSI tech, outputting 5568 x 3712 pixel files.

What does that mean practically? In good light, the Samsung edges the Z30 with sharper results and more detail, largely due to that extra resolution. Nikon’s images still look excellent, though, with plenty of punch and fidelity for web use, casual prints, and content creation.

Where Nikon starts to gain ground is in high ISO sensitivity. The Z30’s sensor supports up to ISO 51200 natively, with a boosted option that goes all the way to 204800. Samsung’s max native ISO is 25600, with a boosted ISO up to 51200. In my lab and field testing, the Nikon shows cleaner results above ISO 3200 with less chroma noise - much appreciated if you shoot events or night scenes without a tripod.

Both sensors lack anti-aliasing filters, which helps retain fine detail but requires good focusing discipline to avoid moiré artifacts.

Working the Screen and Viewfinder: How You See Your Shots

Neither camera offers an electronic viewfinder, which is unusual in 2024 but understandable given their entry-level classification. Instead, you’ll rely on the rear LCD screen and live view.

The Z30 boasts a fully articulating, touchscreen LCD measuring 3.0 inches with 1,040,000 dots resolution. The Samsung NX500 has a 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen with 1,036,000 dots. Here’s a side-by-side view:

The Nikon’s fully articulating design is more selfie and vlogger-friendly, allowing flexible angles for creative compositions and video framing. Samsung’s tilting screen goes up and down but doesn’t swivel around fully, making self-recording awkward.

The touch responsiveness is excellent on both - fast menu navigation and intuitive focus point selection. The Z30’s user interface feels more modern and simplified, benefiting from Nikon’s recent UI iterations. The NX500 feels a bit dated by comparison but still perfectly usable.

The lack of a viewfinder hurts in bright outdoor conditions, where glare can swamp the LCD, so consider investing in an external EVF or working with a shade if shooting in harsh daylight.

Autofocus Systems: Snapping Sharp Shots When It Counts

The autofocus system is critical whether you’re chasing kids, wildlife, or sports action.

Both cameras use hybrid autofocus with phase-detection and contrast-detection on their sensors, offering 209 AF points each. Nikon includes eye and animal eye detection autofocus, a feature that makes portraiture sharpness pin-point accurate. Samsung lacks animal eye AF but includes face detection.

From my tests:

• Nikon Z30 autofocus finds, locks, and tracks faces and animal eyes with astounding reliability, even in lower contrast or low light. This is thanks to improved AI-assisted algorithms and on-sensor phase-detection.

• Samsung NX500 offers a solid general autofocus with face detection working well in good light, but tracking moving subjects, especially animals or kids, proved less consistent. The lack of eye-AF limits quick portrait hits.

Continuous autofocus during burst shooting is faster on the Z30 at 11 fps versus 9 fps on the NX500, which makes Nikon a better choice for shooting sports, wildlife, or any fast-paced subject.

Performance in Different Photography Disciplines

Let’s break down how each camera fares when applied to popular photography genres.

Portraits: Bokeh and Skin Tones

Nikon’s Z30 with native Z-mount lenses enables shooting with very fast primes (e.g., 50mm f/1.8), delivering smooth, creamy bokeh perfect for portraits. Its precise eye-AF locks exactly where you want sharpness - critical for expressive portraits.

The Samsung NX mount has a decent but smaller lens selection with fewer bright primes, limiting creamy bokeh options. Skin tones on NX500 are natural, but color rendering felt a bit cooler and muted compared to Nikon’s warmer, more pleasing rendition.

Landscapes: Dynamic Range and Weather Sealing

While neither camera offers extensive weather sealing, the Nikon Z30 rates some environmental sealing to fend off light dust and moisture - which can matter in outdoor shoots.

Samsung’s NX500 scores higher with a better sensor dynamic range (13.9 EV versus an untested but likely lower Nikon range). This enables captures that retain more highlight and shadow detail for landscapes.

Resolution-wise, Samsung’s 28MP sensor packs an edge, producing large files that stand well for cropping or large prints. But Nikon’s files remain highly usable, with pleasing colors and sharp detail on raw processing.

Wildlife and Sports: Speed and Accuracy

Here, the Nikon Z30 pulls ahead thanks to faster shot rates (11 fps vs 9 fps) and better autofocus tracking with eye and animal detection. The 209 AF points spread evenly over the frame-plus effective AF algorithms - tested in field shoots chasing birds and pets - delivers sharp action shots more consistently.

Samsung’s NX500 tends to be a smidge slower on continuous AF and shooting burst, limiting its ability to freeze fast action.

Street Photography: Discretion and Responsiveness

Samsung NX500’s smaller, lighter rangefinder-style body offers discreet shooting, ideal for street photographers who value low profile. The tilting screen is handy for candid low-angle shots.

Nikon’s larger grip and SLR styling aren’t invisible, but articulate screen flexibility and superior autofocus tracking compensate when shooting spontaneous moments.

Macro Photography: Lens Compatibility and Focus Precision

Neither camera specifies native macro focusing ranges, but Nikon’s Z mount ecosystem offers some superior macro lenses with stabilization options. The Z30’s focus bracketing and stacking features (absent in the NX500) empower macro shooters to create pin-sharp composites with ease.

Although both lack in-body stabilization, careful tripod use and the Z30’s focus bracketing helps push macro photography skills further.

Night and Astro Photography: High ISO and Exposure Modes

Nikon’s higher ISO ceiling (51,200 native, 204,800 boosted) and cleaner noise suppression translates to superior low-light captures for nightscapes and astrophotography. The native sensor’s noise characteristics allow usable shots at ISO 6400+ much better than Samsung.

The NX500, while capable, shows more noise and color shifts past ISO 3200, limiting high-ISO night usability. Both cameras offer timelapse recording useful for astro time lapse projects.

Video: Formats, Resolution, and Stability

Video capabilities may sway content creators.

Nikon Z30 records in 4K UHD up to 30p using widely compatible H.264 codecs with good bitrate options. It also supports Full HD up to 120 fps for slow motion, plus a microphone input for better audio quality.

Samsung NX500 offers 4K UHD at 30p and standard Full HD 60p but lacks microphone or headphone ports, restraining audio control. It records in H.265, which offers better compression but less broad editing software compatibility.

Neither offers in-body image stabilization, so for handheld video, external gimbals or stabilized lenses are recommended.

Build Quality and Reliability: Tough Enough for the Job?

The Nikon Z30 is built with an “environmental sealing” feature - meaning some resistance against dust and moisture. Not waterproof or fully weather-sealed, but enough to protect against typical rain or dusty trails during outdoor shoots.

Samsung NX500, released in 2015, lacks any weather sealing, requiring more care in rugged environments.

Both cameras feel solidly constructed but are obviously not built for heavy pro use - as you’d expect from their entry-level market positioning.

Lens Availability and System Ecosystems

A quick but critical consideration.

• Nikon Z30 fits into the relatively young but rapidly growing Nikon Z-mount lineup. Nikon currently offers around 35 native Z lenses, ranging from affordable primes to pro-level optics. Third-party support is growing, too, from brands like Sigma and Tamron. This ecosystem is evolving into something photographers can rely on long-term.

• Samsung NX500 uses the discontinued Samsung NX mount. While initially there were 32 lenses, the lineup is effectively frozen, and the company hasn’t released new models in years. This limits future-proofing and lens options, pushing serious users toward other brands.

For enthusiasts who want a camera investment with room to grow, Nikon’s system clearly holds an advantage.

Battery Life and Storage Convenience

Battery life is often overlooked but critical in the field.

• Nikon Z30’s EN-EL25 battery yields about 330 shots per charge; not stellar but adequate for a day of moderate shooting. The battery is compact and light.

• Samsung NX500’s BP1130 battery slightly outperforms here with approximately 370 shots per charge. Both cameras use a single SD card slot (Nikon doesn’t specify exact storage types, Samsung supports SD/SDHC/SDXC).

Charging options differ, with Nikon’s USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface enabling faster data transfer and charging compared to Samsung’s USB 2.0 port.

Wireless and Connectivity Features

In today’s connected world, wireless features matter.

Both cameras offer built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for image transfer and remote control via smartphone apps. Nikon’s newer Z30 includes Bluetooth 5.0, promising better pairing stability and range compared to the NX500’s Bluetooth 4.x.

Nikon lacks NFC, but Samsung includes it - though NFC utility has diminished with more widespread Bluetooth adoption.

Both include HDMI outputs for tethered shooting or external monitors, but only Nikon offers a microphone port, enhancing video reliability for creators.

Price & Value: What You Get for Your Buck

At the time of writing, the Nikon Z30 retails around $650 USD body-only, while the Samsung NX500 trades for about $800 USD used (new stock is scarce due to Samsung’s exit from the camera market).

For roughly $150 less, the Nikon offers:

• More modern autofocus tech (eye and animal detection)
• Better video specs with external mic input
• Weather resistance
• Expanding native lens lineup
• Better battery charging and modern USB support

Samsung’s NX500 may appeal because of slightly higher resolution sensor and compact body but risks system obsolescence due to discontinued mount and aging tech.

Comparative Performance Summary: Overall Scores and Genre Ratings

To visualize the strengths of each camera across metrics and photography types, here’s an overall rating card:

You can see how Nikon’s Z30 takes the lead in autofocus, video, and versatility while Samsung excels in sensor resolution and size/portability.

Real-World Sample Images: Side-by-Side in Various Conditions

Nothing beats seeing actual image crops for practical judgment.

Nikon Z30 front Nikon Z30 screen back Samsung NX500 front Samsung NX500 screen back

From portrait skin tones to landscape dynamic range and low-light shots, the samples show Nikon’s cleaner high ISO files and superior subject isolation vs. Samsung’s higher detail in daylight.

To Sum It Up: Who Should Buy Which?

Choose the Nikon Z30 if:

• You want a modern entry-level mirrorless camera with eye and animal eye AF
• Video content creation is part of your workflow (4K, mic input, slow-mo)
• You value a fully articulating flip screen for selfies and vlogging
• Lens ecosystem growth and future-proofing matter to you
• You shoot wildlife, sports, or action requiring fast autofocus and burst rates
• You want some weather resistance in your gear
• You’re budget-conscious but want solid technical performance

Choose the Samsung NX500 if:

• You prioritize a smaller, lighter, discreet camera for street and travel photography
• You want the sharpest possible images in good light from an APS-C sensor
• You don’t care about the latest autofocus features or video microphones
• You’re okay with a discontinued system and limited lens choices
• You can find it at a good used price and want a capable stills-focused body

Closing Thoughts From the Field

From my hands-on years of testing thousands of cameras, I recommend the Nikon Z30 as the more practical, versatile choice. Its blend of modern tech, better responsiveness, and an investing-lens system makes it a smart buy for enthusiasts and beginner pros alike.

The Samsung NX500 is a neat, compact machine with great imaging chops but feels like the last hurrah of Samsung’s camera ambitions - best suited if you find a used gem and want sharp daylight shooters without fuss over new features.

Whichever you choose, you’re getting an APS-C mirrorless with good image quality and touchscreen control. Just pick based on your shooting style and whether video, autofocus, or system longevity matters most to you.

Happy shooting, fellow photography enthusiasts! Stay creative and invest wisely, your gear should empower, not encumber your vision.