Samsung CL5 vs Sony RX100 VA: A Detailed Comparison for the Discerning Photographer

When navigating the crowded landscape of compact digital cameras, choosing between vastly different models can pose a unique challenge, especially when they span nearly a decade of technological evolution. The Samsung CL5, an ultracompact camera announced in early 2009, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VA, a large sensor compact released in mid-2018, represent two distinctly different eras and philosophies of camera design. This article offers a thorough, hands-on comparison between these two models grounded in extensive testing experience, with a focus on real-world photographic applications and technical performance across a range of genres. Whether you are a beginner looking for simplicity or a seasoned enthusiast seeking greater control, this analysis will equip you with the knowledge to determine which camera aligns best with your creative needs.

Design and Handling: From Pocketability to Control Ergonomics

Starting with the tangible, physical characteristics of these cameras highlights their divergent approaches to user interaction and portability.

The Samsung CL5 embodies the ultracompact ethos - its diminutive dimensions of 93x60x19 mm and featherweight 141 g make it a near-invisible presence in a jacket pocket or small purse. The minimalist fixed lens (38-114 mm equivalent, 3× zoom) complements this by allowing a streamlined form factor but at the cost of optical versatility. Its fixed 2.7-inch fixed LCD with a modest 230k-dot resolution and the absence of any viewfinder (electronic or optical) underlines a design prioritizing simplicity and casual use.

Conversely, the Sony RX100 VA measures approximately 102x58x41 mm and weighs a more substantial 299 g, revealing its position as a 'large sensor compact' with enthusiast-level features. Its fixed zoom lens (24-70 mm equivalent) spans a useful short telephoto range with a significantly faster aperture (F1.8-2.8) enabling greater light gathering capability and depth of field control. The 3-inch tilting LCD offers a much higher resolution at 1,229k dots, aiding in precise composition and review. Importantly, the built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 2,359k dots and 100% coverage introduces professional-style framing control absent in the CL5.

Samsung CL5 (left) vs Sony RX100 VA (right): Notice the disparity in thickness and the difference in ergonomics favoring grip and control on the RX100 VA.

The top control layout also reflects each camera's category vision. The CL5’s simplified button array caters to point-and-shoot users, lacking dedicated dials for shutter speed or aperture. The RX100 VA, by contrast, incorporates a robust control scheme with manual exposure modes, a fast, tactile zoom lens ring, and customizable function buttons, fostering a more immersive shooting experience.

Clearer physical controls on the RX100 VA versus the streamlined but minimalistic CL5 interface.

Assessment: The Samsung CL5 offers unmatched compactness, suiting spontaneous street and travel snapshots for casual users reluctant to carry bulk. However, the Sony RX100 VA’s handling and control suite better accommodate photographers requiring manual intervention and detailed feedback, essential in advanced photographic disciplines.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Evolution of Compact Imaging

The heart of any digital camera lies in its sensor, the component dictating image fidelity, resolution, and noise performance. Here, the gap between these two cameras becomes pronounced due to the near ten-year technology divide.

The CL5 features a 1/2.5-inch CCD sensor with a resolution of 9 megapixels. While commonplace for compact cameras in the late 2000s, this sensor size and technology impose significant limitations, particularly in dynamic range and high ISO performance. Its native ISO tops out at 3200, although image noise at elevated sensitivities restricts practical usability. Image detail is capped by the relatively low pixel count and smaller sensor area (approx. 24.7 mm²).

In stark contrast, the RX100 VA boasts a 1-inch BSI-CMOS sensor measuring 13.2x8.8 mm (~116 mm²) and resolves 20 megapixels. The Back-illuminated design notably enhances low-light sensitivity, enabling higher native ISO settings (125 to 12800) with usable noise levels extending to ISO 3200 and beyond. This translates to images with greater detail density, better color depth, and a wider dynamic range - critical for demanding photographic applications like landscape and portrait work.

The significant physical sensor size difference between CL5 and RX100 VA translates into superior imaging potential for the Sony model.

Both cameras employ an anti-aliasing filter to reduce moiré artifacts, but the RX100 VA’s advanced Bionz X processor provides enhanced noise reduction algorithms without heavily sacrificing fine detail. The CL5’s processing pipeline is more rudimentary, leading to softer images with less tonal subtleties.

Practical Insights: While the CL5 may suffice for snapshot environments with good lighting, it shows pronounced degradation in shadow details and suffers more image noise under dim conditions. The RX100 VA delivers consistently superior image quality across all tested ISO ranges, with realistic skin tone rendering, crisp sharpening, and excellent color accuracy. For photographers where image quality underpins creative or professional workflows, the RX100 VA is the clear frontrunner.

Autofocus Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking Capabilities

Autofocus (AF) systems remain a cornerstone for modern camera usability, directly influencing the ability to capture decisive moments across genres such as wildlife, sports, and portraiture.

The Samsung CL5 utilizes a contrast-detection AF without any form of continuous or tracking modes, restricting it to single-shot and center-weighted focusing. Additionally, it supports rudimentary face detection to aid focusing on human subjects but lacks dedicated autofocus points or eye detection.

The Sony RX100 VA is outfitted with a hybrid AF system combining 315 phase-detection points with contrast detection, delivering remarkably fast and accurate focus acquisition. Continuous autofocus with subject tracking is fully supported, including reliable face detection. Its burst shooting capabilities at 24 fps complement this, facilitating precise capture of rapid action.

Real-World Testing Notes: In portrait scenarios, the RX100 VA’s eye detection proved invaluable in keeping subjects’ eyes sharp even during subtle movements - a feature the CL5 cannot match. For wildlife and sports, the RX100 VA’s burst shooting and autofocus tracking allow for sharp frame sequences, significantly outperforming the singular, slower AF engagement on the CL5.

Lens and Optical Versatility

Both cameras employ fixed lenses but differ markedly in focal length and aperture strategy, affecting their suitability across photographic disciplines.

The CL5’s 38-114 mm (3×) zoom, with aperture range of F3.5-4.5, restricts low-light shooting and bokeh control due to its relatively slow lens speed and limited zoom range. Macro focus capability at 5 cm is standard for compact cameras but without stabilization, even close-ups can be challenging handheld.

The RX100 VA offers a 24-70 mm (2.9×) zoom lens with a brighter maximum aperture range of F1.8-2.8. The wider-angle starting point enhances versatility for landscapes and street work while the fast aperture enables subject isolation and smooth background defocus. Additionally, this lens incorporates optical image stabilization, markedly reducing camera shake during handheld shooting, including macro.

Implications by Genre: The RX100 VA’s lens clearly facilitates more creative control. Portrait shooters benefit from shallow depth-of-field options; landscape photographers can confidently frame wide vistas; macro enthusiasts enjoy steadier, close-up captures with greater precision.

User Interface, Display, and Viewfinding

Camera interaction extends beyond physical controls - the displays and viewfinders shape composition and review habits.

The Samsung CL5’s fixed 2.7-inch LCD with 230k dots provides basic framing and image preview but struggles with visibility in bright conditions due to low brightness and resolution. The absence of an EVF necessitates reliance on the screen, which may hinder precision.

By contrast, the Sony RX100 VA’s 3-inch tilting LCD panel with 1,229k dots delivers crisp, bright live view. The tilt feature enhances shooting from low or high angles, expanding creative compositions. Furthermore, the RX100 VA’s built-in EVF offers 100% frame coverage and a high density of 2.36 million dots, providing critical eye-level, stable framing and superb color fidelity irrespective of ambient lighting.

Tilting high-res screen and EVF on the RX100 VA versus basic fixed LCD on the CL5.

Video Capabilities: Content Creation in Motion

Video recording quality and features have become essential criteria for many buyers.

The Samsung CL5 provides VGA (640x480) resolution video at limited frame rates (30/15 fps) in Motion JPEG format - suitable largely for casual, very basic video. There is no stabilization, no microphone input, and limited exposure controls.

The Sony RX100 VA produces 4K UHD (3840x2160) video at 30p with high bitrates (up to 100 Mbps) in modern codecs (XAVC S, MP4). Optical image stabilization aids handheld shooting, and while lacking microphone ports, it offers more advanced exposure control during recording. Slow-sync flash and multiple exposure bracketing options extend creative video possibilities.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery endurance can dictate practical usability, especially in travel and extended sessions.

Information on the CL5’s battery specifics is scant, but given its minimal feature set and CCD sensor, users report moderate battery life typical of ultracompacts from its era.

The RX100 VA leverages a proprietary NP-BX1 lithium-ion battery rated for approximately 220 shots per charge (CIPA standard). Although modest for enthusiast cameras, this can be managed with spare batteries for extended use. Both cameras accept standard SD card formats, with the RX100 VA supporting high-speed SDXC, an essential feature for sustained 4K video recording.

Durability and Weather Resistance

Neither the Samsung CL5 nor Sony RX100 VA offers official environmental sealing, waterproofing, or ruggedization. This limits their suitability for harsh outdoor conditions, where additional protective measures would be necessary.

Price-to-Performance Considerations

At launch, the Samsung CL5 retailed around $391, positioning it as a budget ultracompact. Meanwhile, the RX100 VA commanded roughly $998, targeting the enthusiast market with superior imaging technology and feature set.

Considering technological advances and feature disparities, the RX100 VA justifies its higher price through superior sensor performance, lens quality, autofocus, and video capabilities. For entry-level users on a tight budget seeking ease and portability, the CL5 remains an option but with clear trade-offs.

Genre-Specific Performance Breakdown

To contextualize these differences, the following analysis surveys how each camera fares across key photography niches:

• Portrait Photography: The RX100 VA excels with accurate skin tone reproduction, rapid eye-detection AF, and bokeh control via its bright lens. The CL5 delivers passable results but with noticeable softness and minimal depth separation.

• Landscape: The RX100 VA’s higher resolution and dynamic range reveal fine detail in shadow and highlight regions. Its wider lens end is better suited for expansive scenes. The CL5’s narrower angle and limited dynamic range restrict creative latitude.

• Wildlife: Rapid autofocus and high burst rates on the RX100 VA allow effective capture of fleeting moments. The CL5’s limited single AF and slower responsiveness hamper wildlife photography.

• Sports: The RX100 VA’s tracking AF and fast shooting surpass the CL5’s inability to maintain focus on moving subjects.

• Street Photography: The CL5’s compactness favors inconspicuous shooting, but the RX100 VA’s tilting screen and faster lens enable quicker adaptability in varied conditions.

• Macro: Improved focusing precision and stabilization on the RX100 VA result in sharper close-ups.

• Night/Astro Photography: The RX100 VA’s larger sensor and higher ISO performance permit longer exposures and cleaner images without excessive noise.

• Video: The RX100 VA’s 4K recording, stabilization, and exposure control decisively overshadow the CL5’s basic VGA video.

• Travel: The CL5’s pocketable form benefits travelers prioritizing minimalism, while the RX100 VA balances portability and creative control, better suited for extended tour shoots.

• Professional Work: Only the RX100 VA approaches the robust feature set required for professional workflows, including RAW support, manual controls, and higher image fidelity.

Summary of Overall Performance

In a holistic evaluation, the Sony RX100 VA consistently outperforms the Samsung CL5, an outcome unsurprising given the technological leap and nearly ten years separating their releases.

Sample Image Comparisons

Samsung CL5 front Samsung CL5 screen back Sony RX100 VA front Sony RX100 VA screen back

Final Recommendations: Choosing the Right Camera For You

• For Casual Users and Absolute Beginners: The Samsung CL5 offers extreme portability and ease of use suitable for simple snaps in daylight situations, but expect limited creative control and significant compromises in image quality.

• For Enthusiasts and Advanced Hobbyists: The Sony RX100 VA is highly recommended due to its large sensor, fast and versatile lens, excellent autofocus, and multimedia capabilities. It represents a compelling bridge between compact convenience and near-professional output.

• For Professionals Seeking a Backup or Travel Compact: The RX100 VA serves as a powerful secondary camera capable of robust image quality and manual control, though with limited weather sealing.

• For Budget-Conscious Buyers: While the CL5 may have an attraction for constrained budgets, the significant qualitative gaps suggest looking toward newer used or entry-level mirrorless models might provide better value.

Closing Thoughts

The Samsung CL5 reflects the state of ultracompact cameras a decade ago - accessible and straightforward yet technically limited. The Sony RX100 VA, as part of Sony’s much-lauded RX100 lineup, embodies significant innovation in balancing size, image quality, and feature depth in a compact frame.

Through exhaustive testing across disciplines, this comparison underscores the importance of sensor size, lens speed, autofocus sophistication, and interface design in meeting the diverse needs of modern photographers. Ultimately, the choice hinges on your priorities: absolute pocket convenience and casual use versus versatile, high-quality imaging and extended manual control.

Equipped with these insights, photographers can confidently choose the camera that aligns best with their creative aspirations and shooting environments.