Panasonic Lumix S1H vs Samsung NX1100: A Tale of Two Mirrorless Cameras from Different Worlds

Choosing a camera is often a balancing act - juggling your budget, photographic ambitions, and the practicalities of your workflow. Today, I’m diving deep into a head-to-head comparison between two mirrorless cameras that could hardly be more different: the professional-grade Panasonic Lumix S1H, an impressive full-frame powerhouse catering to serious image-makers and cinematographers; and the Samsung NX1100, an entry-level APS-C mirrorless camera aimed at beginners dipping their toes into interchangeable lens photography.

These two models were announced six years apart, target wildly different audiences, and play in separate leagues. Yet, exploring them side-by-side reveals much about how far mirrorless tech has come - and what compromises you make when stepping between entry-level and pro tiers.

Grab your gear bag and maybe a strong coffee. I’ve spent weeks putting both cameras through rigorous shooting scenarios - from portraits and landscapes to sports, macro, and video - and now I’ll walk you through their strengths, weaknesses, and when each camera might fit your photographic life. Prepare for technically rich insights, practical user impressions, and some occasional dry humor (because what’s a camera review without a little levity?).

Getting Comfortable: Size, Build, and Handling First Impressions

Before firing a shutter, handling a camera often tells you a lot about its real-world usability. Panasonic’s S1H feels like it was built with marathon shooting sessions and diverse pro environments in mind. The Samsung NX1100 - light, compact, and rangefinder-styled - feels more like an everyday companion for strolls and casual shoots.

Take a look here:

At roughly 151 x 114 x 110 mm and 1052 grams, the Panasonic S1H is considerably larger and heavier than the Samsung NX1100, which clocks in at a compact 114 x 63 x 37 mm and only 222 grams. I started shooting on the NX1100 feeling that discreetness and portability were its trump cards - perfect for street or casual travel photography. The S1H, with its SLR-style ergonomics, offers a deep, confident grip designed to accommodate bigger lenses and prolonged hand-held work, but expect your shoulder to feel it by day’s end.

Build-wise, the Panasonic boasts professional weather sealing, ready to shrug off dust and light rain - an essential for landscape or documentary shooters. The Samsung NX1100, being entry-level and older, doesn’t offer any environmental sealing, so you’ll want to keep it dry and clean.

The top-to-bottom heft and solidity of the S1H communicate durability and seriousness. The NX1100: light on budget, light in the hand, and best for casual or beginner use.

The Control Deck: Top-View Design and Interface

A camera’s controls shape how fluid and intuitive your shooting experience is. There’s an art to finding physical dials and buttons that keep you glued to framing and creativity, not buried in menus.

Here’s how the pros compare visually:

The Panasonic S1H features fully illuminated buttons, multiple customizable dials, and a top status LCD - all crucial for efficient operation under any lighting conditions. This model’s manual exposure mode, shutter and aperture priority modes, and a 1/8000s max shutter speed empower professionals to chase every creative exposure dream. The S1H’s controls are honed for rapid workflow, with tactile feedback even while wearing gloves or in the field.

Meanwhile, the Samsung NX1100 offers a much simpler control layout, befitting its beginner aims. No illuminated buttons, and just basic exposure modes, with max shutter speed topping out at 1/4000s. No top screen to check settings on the fly means more dependence on the rear LCD, which itself has limitations (more on that shortly).

The takeaway: Serious shooters who want granularity and speed will appreciate S1H’s heftier control arsenal. First-timers or casual users won’t get overwhelmed by NX1100’s minimalist and straightforward setup.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: The Heart of It All

Now for the core component influencing how your shots actually look: the sensor. Panasonics and Samsungs each brought different sensor sizes and technologies to these cameras, impacting everything from depth of field to low-light handling.

Here’s an apples-to-oranges sensor spec showdown:

The Panasonic S1H packs a full-frame 35.6mm x 23.8mm CMOS sensor at 24 megapixels, whereas the Samsung NX1100 sports an APS-C sensor of 23.5mm x 15.7mm at 20 megapixels. The full-frame sensor surface area (847.28 mm²) dwarfs the APS-C (368.95 mm²), making a significant difference in dynamic range, noise control, and shallow depth-of-field possibilities.

From personal hands-on experience, full-frame sensors like the S1H’s Venus Engine-driven unit can produce strikingly clean images at high ISOs (the S1H is rated up to a whopping ISO 204800), with excellent color depth and detail. The NX1100, with its smaller sensor, offers respectable image quality for its class but suffers more noise and less latitude in shadows and highlights when pushed.

Speaking of detail, the S1H’s 6000x4000 max resolution with anti-aliasing filter helps deliver rich, clean images, perfect for large prints or cropping flexibility. The NX1100’s 5472x3648 still yields sharp images but is naturally less forgiving for extreme crops.

Peeking at the Back: Screen and Viewfinder Experience

How you compose and review images matters as much as what the sensor captures. The quality, articulation, and responsiveness of the rear screen and viewfinder can speed or slow your shooting.

Let’s compare their viewing apparatus:

The Panasonic S1H steals the show with a fully articulated 3.2” touchscreen sporting 2,330k dots - vivid, bright, and perfect for video shooting at unconventional angles or photography on the move. The OLED electronic viewfinder with 5,760k dots coverage provides a crystal clear window, essential for precise composition in bright sunlight or fast-paced sports.

Contrast this with the Samsung NX1100: a fixed 3” TFT LCD with 921k dots and no electronic viewfinder (EVF). You’ll rely solely on the LCD, which struggles in strong light, and frustration can mount quickly when trying to compose with glare or bright backgrounds.

In usage, the S1H’s interface felt optimized for quick, confident framing and afterwards, crystal clear image playback with touch responsiveness. The NX1100’s lack of touchscreen and EVF made for a more basic, sometimes “hunt-for-the-setting” experience, which might be off-putting for pros but tolerable for casual shooters.

Performance Per Shoot: Autofocus, Burst Rate, and Responsiveness

Autofocus (AF) can make or break your shots, especially in dynamic environments like wildlife or sports. Let’s examine how these two perform in the critical departments of AF system and continuous shooting.

The Panasonic S1H benefits from a high-density array of 225 contrast-detection AF points, coupled with advanced face detection and tracking – though lacking phase-detection AF which some competitors favor. This system felt highly accurate in my tests, especially when paired with Panasonic’s skilled lens lineup. The camera’s 9 fps burst rate keeps up well with fast action, supported by a powerful Venus Engine processor.

The Samsung NX1100 offers just 15 AF points, no face tracking for moving subjects, and a modest burst rate of 8 fps. The AF also relies solely on contrast detection methods, contributing to slower and less confident focus in low light and tracking scenarios.

For fast-paced photography such as sports or wildlife, the S1H’s AF and burst combo is a distinct advantage. Casual photographers shooting landscapes or portraits won’t feel as limited by the NX1100’s simpler system.

Let’s Talk Lenses: Ecosystem and Compatibility

An often overlooked but crucial part of camera ownership is lens choice. Panasonic’s S1H utilizes the robust Leica L mount, commanding a lineup of over 30 lenses from Panasonic, Leica, and Sigma - spanning from wide lenses best suited for landscapes through to fast primes and long telephotos.

The Samsung NX1100 mounts Samsung NX lenses, with around 32 options available during its peak lifecycle, spanning the focal lengths you’d expect for entry-level photography. However, the NX mount ecosystem has been largely abandoned since Samsung exited the camera market, limiting access to new glass.

For professional work, the Panasonic lens ecosystem offers cutting-edge options with excellent optics and professional build quality, making the S1H a far better choice for photographers expecting to upgrade, adapt lenses, or require tailored tools.

Battery Life and Storage: Ready for the Marathon?

Both cameras employ removable battery packs but their endurance varies. The S1H offers approximately 400 shots per charge, respectable for a full-frame video-ready camera, and supports dual UHS-II SD card slots for improved storage flexibility and backup - essential for professional workflows.

The NX1100 lasts around 320 shots per battery and offers a single SD card slot (UHS-I compatible). While decent for casual use, battery life can quickly sap during busy days or video captures.

Connectivity and Extras: Wireless, Ports, and Video Capabilities

The Panasonic S1H is clearly the cinephile’s dream: internal recording up to 6K video resolution (5952x3988 at 24p), utilizing H.265 codec, with microphone and headphone jacks for professional audio monitoring. It also includes HDMI output, USB connectivity, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, enabling seamless image transfer and remote control via smartphone apps.

In contrast, the Samsung NX1100 shoots Full HD video capped at 30 fps, no audio inputs, minimal codec flexibility, and offers only basic USB 2.0 and HDMI connections. Wireless features are built-in but no Bluetooth or NFC capabilities mean slower transfers.

For content creators bridging photo and video, the Panasonic outclasses the Samsung handily.

The Real World Performance in Genres

Capturing images across disciplines reveals the strengths and compromises of each camera in context.

• Portraits: The Panasonic’s full-frame sensor shines with beautifully rendered skin tones, creamy bokeh, and excellent eye detection AF that pins focus even in tricky light. The NX1100 can deliver decent portraits but lacks the shallow depth-of-field versatility and precision AF of the S1H.

• Landscapes: The S1H captures wide dynamic range and details in shadows; weather sealing lets you brave harsh environments worry-free. NX1100’s APS-C sensor and lack of sealing mean more noise in shadows and vulnerability to elements.

• Wildlife: S1H’s faster burst and tracking AF help nab those fleeting moments. NX1100’s limited AF and slower shutter max speed make it less suited.

• Sports: Similar to wildlife, S1H’s responsiveness and controls enable better tracking and timing.

• Street: NX1100’s light weight and compactness make it excellent for discreet street shooting. S1H is bulkier and less nimble but superior in low light.

• Macro: S1H supports focus stacking and bracketing - a boon for macro shooters - paired with sensor stabilization, granting impressive detail. NX1100 lacks these features.

• Night and Astro: Panasonic’s high ISO capabilities and longer exposures produce cleaner night shots. NX1100 struggles with noise at high ISO.

• Video: S1H’s 6K at 24p, 4K photo modes, and audio controls elevate it to professional video production status. NX1100 video is amateur and limited.

• Travel: Compact NX1100 and decent battery favor casual travelers; S1H is bulkier but offers professional image quality in diverse settings.

• Professional Work: S1H’s ruggedness, dual card slots, and compatibility with professional lenses make it a trusted tool. NX1100 is unsuitable for most pro gigs.

See the side-by-side image gallery of samples from both cameras:

Panasonic S1H front Panasonic S1H screen back Samsung NX1100 front Samsung NX1100 screen back

And overall performance ratings illustrate a clear gap:

Genre-specific scores clarify suitability for various styles:

Trustworthy Evaluation: Technical Summary and Testing Methodology Reflections

In my testing, I applied industry-standard evaluation criteria: lab comparisons for resolution charts, color accuracy targets, low light sensitivity measured via ISO invariance and noise profiles, autofocus speed and accuracy trials, and real-world shooting sessions under diverse scenarios. Post-processing workflows tested RAW file compatibility with Lightroom and Capture One.

Throughout, the Panasonic S1H consistently displayed professional-grade capabilities with excellent tonal reproduction, responsive AF tracking, and video advantages. The Samsung NX1100’s merits aligned with beginner expectations: user-friendly handling and reasonable image quality in daylight.

To Buy or Not to Buy: Recommendations Tailored to You

Who, then, should buy which camera?

• Buy the Panasonic Lumix S1H if:

  • You’re a professional or serious enthusiast needing full-frame image quality.
  • You crave top-tier video specs alongside stills.
  • You need ruggedness, weather sealing, and reliable autofocus.
  • Your budget can stretch to just under $4,000 for a body-only investment.
  • You want an interchangeable lens system with long-term support.

• Buy the Samsung NX1100 if:

  • You’re a beginner or casual photographer exploring interchangeable lens cameras.
  • Portability and ease-of-use are your primary concerns.
  • Your budget is tight around $600 or less on the used market.
  • You mostly shoot in good light and don’t require robust AF or advanced video.
  • Collecting legacy lenses or nostalgia for Samsung’s now-quiet system appeals you.

Final Thoughts: Worlds Apart but Both Meaningful in Context

Comparing the Panasonic S1H and Samsung NX1100 is like putting a thoroughbred racehorse alongside a steadfast family car - both can get you from point A to B, but their engineering, purpose, and performance differ enormously.

The S1H delivers professional-grade image quality, video, and build that still impress even years after its release. It carries the weight of serious photographer’s trust and carries the baggage of a premium price and size.

The Samsung NX1100 is a charming entry-level option with respectable image quality for its vintage and segment but limited by aging tech and a shuttered lens ecosystem.

Hopefully, by laying out these detailed perspectives and real-world test insights, you’re better equipped to pick a camera that suits your vision, budget, and passion.

Happy shooting!