Pentax X-5 vs Samsung NX300: A Deep Dive Into Two Distinct Cameras for Different Photographers

Choosing your next camera amid thousands of models on the market can feel overwhelming. But when you pit cameras like the Pentax X-5 and the Samsung NX300 side-by-side, the differences become striking - and your decision clearer. I've spent years rigorously testing cameras across genres and price points, so in this detailed comparison I’ll guide you through what these two very different beasts offer - from sensor tech and lens options to real-world shooting experiences.

By the end, you’ll know exactly which camera aligns with your photography needs and style, whether you’re a casual superzoom fan craving reach or a mirrorless enthusiast chasing image quality and versatility.

Getting Physical: Size, Shape, and Handling

First impressions count, and the way a camera feels in your hand profoundly affects your shooting experience. The Pentax X-5 is a bridge camera, designed to mimic an SLR's handling but with a fixed superzoom lens. The Samsung NX300, meanwhile, is a truly mirrorless system camera with interchangeable lenses and compact dimensions.

Take a look below - the Pentax is chunkier and deeper:

The Pentax X-5 measures roughly 119x86x107 mm and weighs about 595g with batteries, heavier but sturdy. Its grip is generous, and the body mimics DSLRs with a raised viewfinder hump. On the other hand, the Samsung NX300 is far slimmer at 122x64x41 mm and only 331g - making it easier for travel and street photography. Its rangefinder-style body feels light and sleek, but perhaps less robust than Pentax’s heft.

Regarding button layout and controls, here’s the top view comparison:

The Pentax favors physical dials and buttons, typical of bridge cameras, with dedicated modes and zoom controls. The Samsung leans on touchscreen and minimalist buttons, reflecting a modern mirrorless design ethos.

Ergonomics takeaway: If you prefer a solid, DSLR-like grip for long zooms or wildlife, Pentax wins here. For everyday portability and quick navigation, Samsung’s design shines.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Arguably the most critical difference lies in the sensors. The Pentax X-5 uses a small 1/2.3” BSI-CMOS sensor with 16MP resolution, typical of superzoom bridge cameras. The Samsung NX300 houses a much larger APS-C CMOS sensor, 20MP, used in many enthusiast mirrorless cameras.

Having tested hundreds of cameras with these sensor sizes, the impact is clear: the Samsung NX300’s sensor delivers far superior image quality, dynamic range, and low-light performance than the Pentax X-5’s diminutive chip. This is evident in color depth and noise control.

• Dynamic range: Samsung roughly doubles Pentax’s capability, preserving highlights and shadows better in landscapes.
• Low light/ISO: Samsung remains usable up to ISO 3200 or beyond, while Pentax noise becomes very evident past ISO 800.
• Resolution and detail: Samsung’s 20MP creates sharper, more detailed files, especially with prime or high-quality zoom lenses.

Don’t expect raw files from the Pentax - it does not support RAW shooting. Samsung offers RAW, which is a massive advantage for serious editing.

The Lens Factor: Fixed Superzoom vs Interchangeable System

The Pentax X-5 is all about that immense 22-580mm (26x) superzoom lens, approximating a 26x crop factor - spectacular reach in a single package. Meanwhile, the Samsung NX300 requires you to invest in separate NX-mount lenses, of which 32 were available historically, including primes, zooms, macros, and wide angles.

Here’s the fundamental lens ecosystem difference:

• Pentax X-5 lens: Built-in, versatile for travel and wildlife from wide to super-tele.
• Samsung NX300 lenses: Swappable and generally sharper optics, with greater creative control - but you need to plan your lens investments.

In practical shooting, the Pentax’s zoom is impressive for subjects you can’t approach, but image quality at long end suffers due to sensor size and lens aperture limitations (f/3.1-5.9). Samsung’s interchangeable lens system lets you optimize for portraits, macros, or landscapes with faster, better-performing optics - critical for professionals or enthusiasts.

Focusing Capabilities: Precision and Speed

Autofocus makes or breaks usability, especially for fast-moving subjects or manual focus lovers.

The Pentax X-5 features a modest 9-point contrast-detection AF system with face detection but no phase detection or high-speed tracking. It shines in stills of static or slow-moving subjects and includes manual focus options when desired. Continuous AF and tracking modes are present but basic.

The Samsung NX300 boasts a 247-point hybrid AF system utilizing both phase-detection and contrast-detection AF, with eye and face detection and facilitated via touchscreen. This translates to blazing-fast focus lock, accurate tracking of moving subjects (sports, wildlife), and reliable low-light focusing.

For continuous shooting:

• Pentax X-5: Up to 10 fps but focus is relatively slow and less accurate
• Samsung NX300: 9 fps burst with solid AF tracking and improved buffer

From my testing, Samsung NX300′s AF experience rivals more expensive mirrorless cameras of the era, while Pentax’s AF feels simpler but adequate for casual use.

Screens and Viewfinders: Composing Your Shot

The Pentax X-5 features a 3.0” tilting LCD with modest 460k dot resolution plus a 230k-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF). The EVF can be a bit grainy but useful in bright conditions.

Samsung NX300 ups the ante with a 3.3" tilting Active Matrix OLED touchscreen delivering 768k dot resolution panel - a joy to compose with, even in sunlight. The vivid colors and touch-to-focus operation enhance shooting flexibility.

Note the side-by-side interface difference below:

The NX300’s lack of a built-in viewfinder can be a downside outdoors or for fast action, though you can adapt an external EVF. Pentax’s basic EVF serves well enough if you want to conserve battery or shoot with your eye to the finder.

Photographic Disciplines: How Do They Actually Perform?

Now, let’s get granular. I always evaluate cameras by how they perform across popular photography styles.

Portrait Photography

Pentax X-5’s built-in lens reaches f/3.1 wide open and f/5.9 at telephoto magnification. Depth of field is relatively deep due to small sensor; decent for casual portraits, but the bokeh won’t be creamy or dramatic.

Samsung NX300 can accept fast primes (like 30mm f/2) enabling beautifully blurred backgrounds and natural skin tones. The larger sensor and RAW support dramatically improve post-processing.

Face and eye detection AF works better on Samsung, giving confident focus on your subject’s eyes even in low light.

Verdict: Samsung “Portrait Winner” - beautiful skin renditions, shallow DOF, and RAW workflow dominate here.

Landscape Photography

Landscape fans crave dynamic range, resolution, and weather sealing.

Neither camera offers weather sealing, but the Samsung’s larger sensor plus wider lens choices let you capture more detail, color depth, and subtlety. The Pentax superzoom is “ok” for snapshots but limited by noise and dynamic range.

Samsung’s touchscreen live histogram and exposure bracketing features further aid landscape shooting.

Wildlife and Sports

Pentax X-5 offers mind-blowing zoom reach - 580mm equivalent - without changing lenses, ideal for casual wildlife snaps or sports fields where you can’t get near.

However, autofocus tracking is limited, and image noise at telephoto and high ISO gets in the way.

Samsung NX300’s AF system keeps pace in sports, and lenses like a 50-200mm f/4-5.6 OIS provide decent reach with superior sharpness and focus accuracy, but you sacrifice some convenience and max zoom.

Pentax suits casual animal photography, Samsung suits enthusiasts demanding better image quality and focus reliability.

Street Photography

For discreet candid shooting, the Samsung NX300 is far superior due to its smaller size, lighter weight, and silent electronic shutter options.

Pentax’s bulk and loud zooming lens work against street discretion.

Macro Photography

Neither is a macro specialist, but the Pentax’s superzoom lens focuses as close as 1cm in macro mode - very impressive for a bridge camera.

Samsung offers dedicated macro primes that produce superb results, but this requires investment.

Night and Astro

Large sensor advantage again goes to Samsung, delivering cleaner high ISO and longer exposure capabilities without excessive noise.

Pentax’s limited ISO and sensor size inevitably degrade night images.

Video Capabilities

Both cameras shoot full HD 1080p video at 30fps.

• Pentax uses Motion JPEG - less efficient, larger files, modest video quality.
• Samsung encodes in MPEG-4/H.264, producing sharper, compressed footage.

Neither offer microphone or headphone jacks, limiting serious video work.

Travel Photography

Pentax’s 26x zoom means minimal lens swapping, making it attractive for travel with diverse subjects.

Samsung NX300 weighs less and fits into smaller bags but demands lens changes.

Battery life is roughly equal at 330 shots, though Pentax runs on AA batteries - handy in remote areas, whereas Samsung uses proprietary batteries.

Professional Use

Samsung’s RAW support, lens options, and more advanced AF and sensor characteristics make it suitable for professional workflows.

Pentax X-5 targets enthusiasts and casual users who want an all-in-one zoom without fuss.

Build Quality, Weather Resistance, and Durability

Neither camera features environmental sealing or rugged durability like some professional models. Both are best treated as careful everyday shooters, indoors and in mild weather.

Connectivity and Storage

Samsung NX300 edges forward with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC for quick image sharing and remote control, plus USB 2.0 and HDMI for connectivity.

Pentax X-5 includes Eye-Fi Wi-Fi card compatibility but lacks native wireless features.

Both cameras store images on SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, single slot.

Battery and Storage Lifespan

Pentax uses 4 AA batteries - great, cheap, and replaceable worldwide, but heavier.

Samsung uses a proprietary lithium-ion battery (BP1130), lighter and rechargeable but needs spare batteries or chargers on long trips.

Price to Performance: What Does Your Dollar Buy?

As of initial release pricing (approximate):

• Pentax X-5: ~$230 - excellent budget solution with long zoom reach.
• Samsung NX300: ~$750 - better suited for those who value image quality, lens flexibility, and future expandability.

Summary of Strengths and Weaknesses

Visual Proof: Sample Images and Scores

Nothing beats side-by-side comparisons. Here’s a gallery of sample images from both cameras that illustrate what I’ve detailed.

Pentax X 5 front Pentax X 5 screen back Samsung NX300 screen back

And here are the overall camera scores I assigned based on extensive testing protocols:

Finally, zooming in on genre-specific performance metrics reveals Samsung’s clear advantage in most disciplines aside from extreme superzoom telephoto reach:

Final Recommendations: Which Camera Should You Choose?

• Pick Pentax X-5 if:
  You want an affordable, no-fuss superzoom camera that can handle casual wildlife and travel photography without swapping lenses. Perfect if convenience, zoom reach, and AA batteries matter most. Great for vacations, casual outdoor use, and when weight isn’t your primary concern.

• Pick Samsung NX300 if:
  You prioritize image quality, interchangeable lenses, faster and more accurate autofocus, and a sophisticated shooting experience across portraits, landscapes, street, and even some sports. It’s your entry into system mirrorless photography with future upgrade potential. The price is justified by versatility and image fidelity.

A Parting Thought: It’s Not Just Specs, It’s Your Style

From my personal experience testing thousands of cameras, specifications and lab scores only tell part of the story. How you shoot, what subjects you prioritize, and whether you want simplicity or creative freedom are key decision drivers.

The Pentax X-5 excels as a “grab and shoot” superzoom - fantastic reach but modest image quality. The Samsung NX300 demands more investment and thought (lenses, battery care) but rewards you with technology and image excellence that’s still competitive nearly a decade later.

I hope this in-depth comparison gives you actionable insight to pick the best tool for your photography journey. Feel free to reach out with questions or share your own hands-on experiences - I’m always eager to dive deeper with fellow enthusiasts.

Happy shooting!