Samsung Galaxy Camera 4G vs Sony RX100 II: A Detailed Comparison for Photographers

When looking for a versatile camera, especially in the compact segment, two models that still garner curiosity among enthusiasts and pros alike are the Samsung Galaxy Camera 4G and the Sony RX100 II. These mid-era compacts offer intriguing but very different takes on photography technology: one tries to merge smartphone-like connectivity with imaging, the other packs large sensor wizardry into a pocketable body. I’ve tested both extensively in the field, and in this article, I’ll share a thorough, experience-based comparison to help you decide which camera – if either – fits your photographic style and needs.

Let’s dive past the headline specs, and into real-world impressions, technical performance, and value - across portraiture, landscape, wildlife, and beyond.

Understanding Size and Handling: The Physical Feel of Each Camera

Before any shot is taken, a camera’s ergonomics influence how you interact with it on shoots extending from casual street strolls to focused studio sessions.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 4G is relatively large for a compact with dimensions of 129 x 71 x 19 mm and weighs around 305g. It’s hefty but spread out, arguably leaning towards a small superzoom form factor. In contrast, the Sony RX100 II measures notably smaller at 102 x 58 x 38 mm and weighs 281g. While the RX100 II is physically more compact in height and width, it is thicker due to its retractable lens mechanism, which fits in well with its pocket-friendly ambition.

The Galaxy Camera’s body feels a bit blockier, reminiscent of early superzoom compacts, offering a decent grip but lacking intuitive button placements - more on that shortly. The RX100 II’s thickness helps accommodate a hand-friendly grip despite its smaller footprint, so for prolonged handheld use, I gravitated to the Sony. If portability and subtle handling are priorities - say for street or travel photography - the RX100 II feels more natural to carry and shoot with for long periods.

Top Design and Control Layout: How Do These Cameras Feel Under Your Fingers?

Physical dimensions only tell part of the story. The design, control layout, and rear interface greatly impact your shooting efficiency. I tested both extensively in low-pressure conditions, as well as fast-paced environments.

Examining the Galaxy Camera’s top panel, the minimalist approach is immediately apparent. There’s an absence of dedicated dials for aperture, shutter priority, or exposure compensation. In fact, the camera eschews almost every manual exposure option - it’s designed primarily around touchscreen tap-to-shoot functionality. If you’re used to physical controls, this limitation can be frustrating. The lone shutter button is easy to reach but lacks feedback variety. The absence of a viewfinder further enforces a touchscreen-centric workflow.

Conversely, the RX100 II offers a more substantial top deck with a traditional mode dial including PASM modes, a customizable function button, and a multi-function control dial around the shutter release. It’s clear Sony aimed this at users wanting manual control and faster adjustments. Although the absence of a built-in viewfinder is a minor downside, Sony offered external EVF support (sold separately), a nice plus for enthusiasts who prefer eye-level composing.

In short, if you value tactile controls and manual adjustments on-the-fly, the RX100 II is more satisfying and versatile.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of Photography Performance

The difference between the two cameras becomes even starker when we look under the hood at sensor technology.

The Galaxy Camera 4G sports a 16MP 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor - fairly standard for compact superzooms of its era but on the smaller side by today’s standards. The resulting sensor area is just 28.07 mm², which constrains dynamic range and low light sensitivity despite the back-illuminated design meant to boost light-gathering.

The RX100 II ups the ante significantly with a larger 1" 20MP CMOS sensor measuring 13.2 x 8.8 mm (116.16 mm² area), roughly four times larger than Samsung’s sensor. This larger sensor delivers cleaner images with more detail retention, higher dynamic range, and less noise at elevated ISO levels - crucial in real-world use for landscapes, portraits, and low-light shooting.

I’ve analyzed RAW samples side-by-side (well, only the RX100 II supports RAW, by the way) and the RX100 II consistently outperforms in shadow recovery, color depth, and noise suppression. Galaxy’s JPEGs tend to have more aggressive noise reduction and less nuanced color rendition.

This large sensor advantage fundamentally positions the RX100 II as an enthusiast’s camera, while the Galaxy Camera feels more consumer-oriented, focused on convenience rather than image excellence.

Checking Out Their Screens and Interfaces: Touch vs Tradition

The rear screen is your window and control hub, so how these cameras do there is critical too.

Samsung’s Galaxy Camera offers a huge 4.8-inch HD Super Clear touchscreen with 308 ppi resolution - strikingly large for a compact camera and arguably more than many DSLRs even shipped with then. The touchscreen makes navigating menus and tapping to focus intuitive, and the larger real estate benefits video framing and reviewing shots. But the software interface, influenced by Samsung’s Android ecosystem, can lag and feels occasionally sluggish, especially when switching modes or zooming.

The RX100 II sticks with a smaller but high-quality 3-inch tilting LCD with 1229k dots resolution, no touch capability, but excellent color calibration and responsiveness. The tilt function is excellent for low-angle or self-portrait shots, something the Galaxy Camera lacks completely.

In essence, the Galaxy Camera offers standout touchscreen real estate but at the cost of some sluggishness and lack of physical controls. Sony’s approach may feel more traditional, but its screen reacts promptly and lends more confidence in manual operations.

Exploring Photography Genres: Which Camera Excels Where?

I’ve field tested both cameras to evaluate performance across major photography disciplines - here’s how they stack up genre by genre.

Portrait Photography

Samsung lacks face and eye detection autofocus and only offers contrast-detection focusing through the touchscreen. Without manual focus and limited AF points, fine focus on eyes can be tough, especially at longer focal lengths. The galaxy's sensor and JPEG processing sometimes struggles with natural skin tone rendering, producing images that feel oversaturated or oil-pasted.

The Sony RX100 II shines here, with 25 AF points utilizing contrast detection and face detection autofocus (though no eye AF). Its larger sensor combined with a relatively bright f/1.8 wide aperture lens enables beautiful subject-background separation and smooth, pleasing bokeh effects - ideal for portraits. Colors are more natural and skin tones accurate out of the box, especially when shooting RAW.

Landscape Photography

Dynamic range is key for capturing landscapes full of shadow and highlight detail. Samsung’s smaller sensor severely limits headroom for recovering bright skies or shadow detail, which became apparent when shooting broad daylight scenes. The max ISO 3200 is modest but noise becomes unwelcome above ISO 800.

The RX100 II’s 1" sensor combined with excellent RAW support and wide ISO range (160–12800 native) results in cleaner, more detailed landscapes. Its tilting screen helps with compositional creativity from awkward perspectives. However, neither camera offers weather sealing or robust build quality advantageous for harsh outdoor use.

Wildlife Photography

Samsung offers an impressive 23-481mm equivalent focal length (a whopping 20.9x zoom), giving you sweet reach for distant wildlife. Optical image stabilization aids steadiness somewhat, but this camera suffers from sluggish autofocus - no continuous or tracking AF - making subject capture challenging when animals move quickly.

Sony’s 28-100mm equivalent lens offers much less telephoto reach, which limits wildlife framing but compensates with faster and more sophisticated continuous AF, and 10 fps burst shooting at full resolution. For bird flight or fast-moving critters, RX100 II’s speed feels superior, though you may often require a teleconverter lens elsewhere to extend reach.

Sports Photography

Samsung’s lack of advanced autofocus modes and slower processing hinder capturing fast action. With no burst or continuous AF, it’s unsuitable for demanding sport contexts.

Sony RX100 II, with 10 fps burst and AF tracking, performs respectably for a compact in mid-speed sports events and low-light situations, though the shorter focal range restricts capturing distant action. Its maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 sec is limiting for super-fast motion freezes.

Street Photography

For discreet and agile shooting, size, shutter silence, and quick autofocus matter. The RX100 II’s smaller size and fast AF help with grabbing fleeting moments. I personally found it easier to operate covertly than the larger, bulkier Galaxy Camera, especially given Samsung’s reliance on touchscreen interactions that slow down rapid capture.

For street scenes in low light, the Sony maintains usable image quality better, although neither camera offers fully silent electronic shutter modes.

Macro Photography

Samsung’s lack of macro support or dedicated focusing aids restricts close-up versatility.

Sony RX100 II allows focusing as close as 5 cm over part of its zoom range, enabling genuine macro shots with fine detail and pleasant background blur. Combined with manual focus override, this makes it a serious contender for macro enthusiasts.

Night / Astrophotography

Samsung tops out at ISO 3200 and does not support RAW, limiting noise management and post-processing latitude. Its lack of manual exposure options further restricts night shooting capabilities.

Sony RX100 II excels here, offering manual exposure, ISO sensitivity to 12800+ (boosted), and RAW capture. Its larger sensor better controls noise, and long exposure modes make it practical for astrophotography basics.

Video Performance

Both record 1080p Full HD video, but:

• Samsung Galaxy Camera uses MPEG-4/H.264 codec, but no microphone input, limiting audio control.
• Sony RX100 II records 1080p at up to 60 fps with selectable AVCHD and MPEG-4 formats, also without mic input but with better video stabilization.

Overall, RX100 II provides smoother, sharper video with more frame rate flexibility suitable for casual videography.

Travel Photography

For travel, portability, connectivity, and versatility count.

Samsung’s built-in GPS and 4G connectivity were pioneering in 2012, allowing on-the-go uploads without smartphone tethering, a real perk for travel bloggers. Its superzoom lens offers flexibility for varying scenes without changing lenses. However, it’s relatively bulky for a compact and battery life data is unclear but likely modest given processor needs.

Sony RX100 II, though it lacks GPS and built-in cellular, is extremely compact and light, fits easily in a coat pocket, and offers a versatile zoom, excellent image quality, and decent battery life (approx. 350 shots). The addition of NFC simplifies pairing with smartphones for transfers. A tilting screen aids creative framing during travel.

Professional Work

Neither camera suits professional full-stop workflows, but if pushed:

• Samsung Galaxy Camera loses out due to fixed lens, limited manual controls, lack of RAW support, and no workflow flexibility.
• Sony RX100 II offers manual exposure controls, RAW capture, wider dynamic range, and better autofocus versatility – enough for B or secondary camera use, or professional social media work where bulk and speed matter.

Build Quality, Weather Sealing, and Battery Life

Neither camera is weather-sealed or ruggedized; both require cautious handling in adverse environments.

The Galaxy Camera, designed to house a larger processor and 4G modem, weighs slightly more but has a thin body profile, which can feel less robust. Battery life isn’t officially detailed, but given the power-hungry Android-based system, it tends to run short under heavy use.

RX100 II’s dedicated battery offers roughly 350 shots per charge, decent for a compact without draining you midday. Its metal body construction feels sturdier and more premium.

Autofocus Systems: A Tale of Two Technologies

Samsung Galaxy Camera uses contrast-detection AF exclusively, with no face or eye detection, and no tracking. It offers touch to focus but no physical AF points or continuous AF modes. This severely limits responsiveness and creative control.

Sony RX100 II employs a more advanced 25-point contrast autofocus system with face detection and continuous tracking AF modes - critical for moving subjects in wildlife and sport. It supports manual focus override with a focus peaking (in later firmware) and offers better precision.

Lens and Zoom Considerations

Samsung’s fixed zoom lens spans an extraordinary 23-481 mm equivalent focal range with 20.9x magnification, a superzoom breadth rare for compacts, but comparatively slow aperture, unspecified unfortunately, likely in the f/3.1-f/5.6 range typical of superzoom lenses.

Sony RX100 II’s 28–100 mm zoom is narrower but starts at a bright f/1.8 aperture on the wide end, excellent for shallow depth of field and low light. The maximum aperture narrows to f/4.9 at telephoto, which is standard but less ideal for dim shooting.

Your choice here depends on subject matter - wildlife and travel zoom flexibility favors Samsung; portraits, landscapes, and video favors Sony’s brighter, sharper lens.

Storage and Connectivity

Samsung Galaxy Camera supports microSD cards (microSD/SDHC/SDXC), with a single slot and built-in GPS plus 4G cellular connectivity - very convenient for in-camera social sharing and geo-tagging even without a phone.

Sony RX100 II offers a broader storage ecosystem – SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo – and NFC for quick phone pairing, but no GPS or cellular. USB 2.0 and HDMI are present in both, but Sony's universal support may be more future-proof.

Price and Value Analysis

At release, Galaxy Camera 4G retailed around $550, and the RX100 II around $600 - similar points but vastly different camera philosophies.

The Galaxy offers standout superzoom and built-in cellular, an interesting combo but compromised image quality and camera controls limit its value for serious photography.

The Sony RX100 II commands a premium (fairly reflected by its advanced sensor, superior optics, and manual controls), making it a better investment if image quality and versatility matter.

Performance Scores and Real-World Rating Summary

The RX100 II clearly outperforms in key metrics: DxOMark overall score 67 vs not tested for Samsung, better color depth, dynamic range, and low-light ISO. This reflects in practical shooting benefits described above.

Here’s a more granular look:

Sample Images: Visual Proof of the Differences

Samsung Galaxy Camera 4G front Samsung Galaxy Camera 4G screen back Sony RX100 II front Sony RX100 II screen back

Look closely - the RX100 II produces crisper results with more natural colors and better handling of highlights and shadows. The Galaxy Camera can be hit-or-miss depending on lighting and subject but won't match the RX100 II's dynamic range or detail.

Who Should Buy Which Camera?

• Choose Samsung Galaxy Camera 4G if:

  • You want an all-in-one device with cellular upload capability without tethering a phone.
  • Superzoom reach is paramount (20.9x zoom).
  • You prefer touchscreen controls and auto modes over manual settings.
  • You want a compact camera primarily for casual, social sharing and travel.

• Choose Sony RX100 II if:

  • You seek top-tier image quality in a pocketable camera.
  • You want manual controls and RAW shooting.
  • You plan to shoot portraits, landscapes, and action requiring reliable autofocus.
  • Video recording and creative framing flexibility are important.
  • You prioritize fast, accurate AF and better low-light performance.

Final Thoughts: Expert Recommendations

Having put both through real-life use and benchmarking, my verdict is clear: the Sony RX100 II remains the better camera for photography enthusiasts and semi-professionals. The combination of a much larger 1-inch sensor, versatile lens, full manual control, and solid autofocus makes it an enduringly capable tool. It’s compact enough to travel light but powerful enough to handle a broad range of photographic projects - from on-the-go portraits to street and landscape.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 4G is better seen as a niche device, a curious hybrid of small sensor superzoom and connected device which attempts to combine smartphone features with a camera. It suits those who prioritize instant sharing and long zoom ranges above image fidelity or manual control.

In conclusion, if image quality, control, and versatility drive your decision, Sony RX100 II is the clear winner. But if seamless social sharing with impressive zoom coverage in a point-and-shoot style is your ultimate goal, then the Galaxy Camera offers something unique.

Dear photographers, with these insights, may your next camera choice be the right one - and your images spectacular!

If you’d like to see additional real-world tests or specific comparing samples, let me know and I’ll happily share further detailed analysis. Happy shooting!