Ricoh WG-30W vs Samsung NX1100: A Comprehensive Camera Showdown for the Enthusiast and Pro Photographer

In an era where the camera market is flooded with options catering to every niche - from adventure-ready compacts to versatile mirrorless systems - choosing the right tool becomes a blend of understanding your specific needs and decoding technical specifications with a practical lens. Today, we pit two very different cameras head-to-head: the rugged Ricoh WG-30W, a waterproof compact aimed at durability and simplicity, versus the more sophisticated Samsung NX1100, an entry-level mirrorless camera promising greater creative control and image quality. Having spent countless hours hands-on testing hundreds of cameras, I’ll guide you through this comparison with in-depth technical insights, real-world performance considerations, and clear-eyed recommendations.

Let’s unpack these offerings while keeping photography’s many disciplines in view - from portraits and landscapes to wildlife, macro, and video work - to help you find the camera best suited to your craft.

A Tale of Two Giants in Their Own Right: Form Factor, Ergonomics, and Handling

At first glance, comparing the Ricoh WG-30W and Samsung NX1100 is like matching a Swiss Army knife with a bespoke chef’s knife. Both serve a purpose with quite different design philosophies.

The WG-30W is a compact, fortress-like point-and-shoot, built to survive rough environments: waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, and crushproof. It sports a robust plastic body measuring 123 x 62 x 30 mm and weighing in at just 194g. The design prioritizes durability and simplicity over tactile sophistication, featuring a fixed 2.7-inch screen with modest 230k-dot resolution and no viewfinder.

Contrast this with the NX1100, a rangefinder-style mirrorless system considerably sleeker and more conventional in shape, with dimensions 114 x 63 x 37 mm and a slightly heavier 222g body. The ergonomics favor prolonged handling and control with a larger 3-inch TFT LCD screen at 921k dots, and a lens mount that supports a serious selection of Samsung NX lenses. Despite lacking a built-in viewfinder, the camera body’s shape and button layout reflect an emphasis on compositional precision and manual control.

Through shooting sessions, I found the WG-30W’s chunky buttons and weather-sealed grip well suited for outdoor adventure photographers or anyone who prioritizes rugged reliability over fine manual adjustments. The NX1100, on the other hand, is more comfortable during long portrait shoots or street sessions, thanks to its grip contour and responsive controls.

The top-down layout comparison highlights this ergonomic divide clearly.

The NX1100 flaunts dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, a must for manual shooters, whereas the WG-30W is streamlined, focusing on essential compact camera buttons. Neither camera has illuminated controls or touchscreens, keeping tactile feedback straightforward but perhaps showing their vintage designs.

Sensor and Image Quality: Size Matters (Often)

Sensor size and technology often decide how much photographic latitude a camera provides. The WG-30W fits into the compact waterproof segment with a 1/2.3-inch 16MP CMOS sensor (6.17 x 4.55 mm), offering a maximum image size of 4608 x 3456 pixels. This sensor size is typical for rugged compacts but limits low-light capability and dynamic range.

By contrast, the NX1100 employs a much larger APS-C sized 20MP CMOS sensor (23.5 x 15.7 mm), significantly bigger in surface area - over 13 times larger than the WG-30W’s sensor. The larger sensor vastly improves noise performance, dynamic range, and color depth, permitting images with finer detail and better tonal gradations.

From a purely technical standpoint, the NX1100’s 368.95 mm² sensor area reaps substantial benefits:

• Dynamic Range: Samsung shares a pixel-level dynamic range of 12.5 EV, allowing richer highlight and shadow details.
• Color Depth: At 23 stops, color rendition is more nuanced, critical for professional portraits and landscapes.
• Low-Light Performance: With an ISO low-light score of 852, the NX1100 reduces noise at higher ISOs better than most compacts.

I subjected both to low-light scenarios and found the WG-30W’s native ISO capped at 6400 resulted in noisy, soft images under 1600 ISO, while the NX1100 maintained cleaner textures at ISO 3200 and above, crucial when shooting indoors, events, or night scenes.

The WG-30W’s integrated lens with its 28-140mm equivalent focal length and aperture range of f/3.5–5.5 offers decent versatility, especially for adventure snapshots, but lacks the sharpness and aperture flexibility of the NX1100’s interchangeable lens system. The 32 available NX lenses span wide-angle to telephoto, fast primes to zooms, enabling creative framing and depth of field control an amateur compact cannot match.

Autofocus and Shooting Performance: Speed and Precision Under Pressure

The autofocus architecture in each model suits its intended application. The WG-30W uses contrast-detection AF with 9 focus points including face detection, allowing for simple but somewhat slower focusing. It supports continuous autofocus, but the single-frame continuous shooting speed is a modest 1 fps, indicating it’s not tailored to fast-action sequences.

The NX1100, equipped with 15 contrast-detection points and more granular selective AF areas, offers higher precision, and supports continuous AF with burst shooting up to 8 fps. Although it lacks phase-detection autofocus, contrast-detection coupled with significant processor power delivers reliable focus acquisition.

In practical wildlife and sports shooting tests, this made a stark difference. The WG-30W felt sluggish locking focus on moving birds or children playing, and rapid burst shooting was impractical. The NX1100 captured sequences crisply, making it my preferred choice for dynamic subjects requiring tracking consistency.

Face detection works reliably on both; neither has animal eye AF which limits some specialized wildlife photography. However, the selective AF system on the NX1100 gives more creative freedom for macro or portraiture work where pinpoint focusing is vital.

Display, Viewfinder, and User Interface: Visualizing and Composing

Neither camera boasts an electronic viewfinder, which puts extra emphasis on their rear LCD screens for composing shots.

The WG-30W’s 2.7-inch, 230k-dot fixed screen is adequate but not stellar - colors appear muted, and visibility in bright daylight suffers. No touchscreen or articulating mechanism limits viewing angles and interactive control.

The NX1100 fares better here with a 3-inch, 921k-dot TFT LCD providing crisper images, better color accuracy, and brighter output. This aids in critical focusing and image review.

Through my use, the NX1100’s interface felt more intuitive for photographers familiar with manual settings, thanks to clearly demarcated menus and control shortcuts. The WG-30W’s menu is minimalistic but occasionally frustrating when trying to toggle exposure settings due to its limited modes.

Durability, Weather Sealing and Build Quality

If you need a camera that will survive rafting trips, beach days, or snow hikes, the Ricoh WG-30W’s IPX8 waterproof rating, shockproof to 2m drops, crushproof, and freezeproof capabilities make it a formidable companion. It’s designed for harsh conditions without worry.

The Samsung NX1100 has no weather sealing or rugged features, requiring more careful handling and often external protection if shooting in adverse environments. Its rangefinder-style design prioritizes portability over durability.

For many street photographers or indoor portrait shooters, this lack of ruggedness is not a deal-breaker, but adventure seekers will appreciate the WG-30W’s resilience.

Lens Ecosystem and Versatility: Fixed vs. Interchangeable

A major advantage of the NX1100 lies in its Samsung NX mount supporting 32 lenses, spanning ultra-wide angles, fast primes, telephoto zooms, and specialty glass such as macro and fisheye lenses. This breadth provides enormous creative latitude and adaptability as your eye develops or shooting conditions demand.

In contrast, the WG-30W’s fixed lens with 5x optical zoom is convenient but limiting in framing choices. Its macro focus down to 1cm is impressive for a compact, but image quality is naturally restricted by the fixed aperture range and sensor.

If you prioritize learning and expanding lens use, the NX1100 is the more compelling system.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery endurance for both cameras hovers around typical compact and entry-level mirrorless norms. The WG-30W offers approximately 300 shots per battery charge using its proprietary D-LI92 battery, while the NX1100 slightly edges ahead with about 320 shots per BC1030 battery charge depending on usage patterns.

Both cameras accept SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, though the NX1100 supports higher capacity cards consistently due to its broader support.

Connectivity and Other Features

Both cameras include basic built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and USB 2.0 for image transfer. HDMI output is available on each for live view on external monitors.

The WG-30W offers GPS capabilities only via built-in wireless functions, whereas the NX1100 supports optional external GPS accessories, useful for travel photographers logging locations.

Notably, neither supports Bluetooth or NFC.

Image Quality in Action: Real-World Samples and Performance Scores

Reviewing actual images helps validate the technical specs:

Ricoh WG 30W front Ricoh WG 30W screen back Samsung NX1100 front Samsung NX1100 screen back

The WG-30W produces punchy colors in daylight, but struggles with noise and softness in challenging lighting, especially indoors. The bokeh is limited due to small sensor and slower apertures, dulling portrait background separation.

The NX1100 images demonstrate superior sharpness, tonal depth, and low-light fidelity thanks to the APS-C sensor. Skin tones pop naturally, and the ability to swap fast prime lenses markedly enhances portrait and macro work.

Summarizing overall impressions:

And breaking down performance by photography genre:

Who Should Choose the Ricoh WG-30W?

• Adventure and outdoor photographers needing a durable, waterproof camera that can survive drops, water, and freezing temps.
• Travelers and casual shooters wanting a simple, rugged point-and-shoot they can toss in a backpack without worry.
• Those who prefer straightforward operation without fussing over settings.
• Users on a tighter budget prioritizing value for ruggedness.

The WG-30W is a perfect companion for pool parties, hiking, and snorkeling, delivering decent image quality in bright conditions with the peace of mind that the camera won’t falter if dropped or splashed.

Who Should Invest in the Samsung NX1100?

• Enthusiasts and budding professionals seeking a versatile entry-level mirrorless camera with access to a broad lens system.
• Photographers who desire greater control over exposure via priority and manual modes.
• Those focused on higher image quality: richer colors, cleaner high ISO, and improved dynamic range.
• Users exploring genre-spanning capabilities from portraits and landscapes to street and macro photography.
• Anyone prioritizing faster continuous shooting, selective AF, and sharper framing.
• Budget-conscious photographers who appreciate the potential upgrade path in Samsung’s NX system.

Conclusion: Distinct Tools for Distinct Aims

In summary, the Ricoh WG-30W and Samsung NX1100 serve extremely different roles:

• The WG-30W champions rugged portability and simplicity at the expense of advanced photographic features.
• The NX1100 delivers greater image quality, manual control, and system flexibility, better suited for users who value photographic creativity and technical image excellence.

Depending on your primary shooting environment and ambitions, either could be the “right camera.” For rugged adventures where repair isn’t an option and you want simple operation, the WG-30W nails it. For photo enthusiasts ready to delve deeper into manual controls, lens swaps, and quality-focused shooting, the NX1100 is a far superior creative tool.

If you value compactness under extreme conditions, get the Ricoh WG-30W. But if image quality and system versatility are paramount, the Samsung NX1100 is a compelling, affordable gateway into mirrorless photography.

I hope this comprehensive evaluation aids your decision with clarity rooted in firsthand testing experience. Happy shooting!

All specifications and test data referenced are based on manufacturer info, DxOMark measurements (where available), and extensive hands-on use.