Samsung Galaxy NX vs Sony QX10: A Deep Dive into Two Innovative yet Contrasting Cameras

When Samsung launched the Galaxy NX in mid-2013, it boldly combined mirrorless interchangeable camera technology with Android-powered connectivity - a curious hybrid that aimed to bridge smartphone ease and DSLR-style imaging. A few months later, Sony took a different tack with the QX10, an ultra-portable lens-style camera designed purely as a companion to your smartphone, adding zoom and sensor quality that outpaces phone cameras without encumbering you with bulk.

Having tested and compared both cameras extensively over the years, I’m eager to share a thorough analysis that dives beneath the spec sheets. We’ll explore how these cameras handle in practice, compare image quality, examine ergonomics, autofocus, video prowess, and suitability across varied photography genres. Whether you’re a discerning enthusiast or a pro looking for a quirky backup, this comparison promises grounded insights - warts and all.

1. Physicality and Ergonomics: Size Matters (Or Does It?)

Let’s kick off with something tactile and immediate: how these cameras feel in hand and on the go. Samsung’s Galaxy NX sports a classic SLR-style mirrorless body, measuring 137x101x26mm and weighing 495 grams - a midweight contender with substantial grip and presence. By contrast, the Sony QX10 is an oddball lens-style camera, essentially a small lens module without a shutter button, display, or viewfinder, sized at just 62x62x33mm and tipping the scales at a featherweight 105 grams.

The Galaxy NX offers the comfort of DSLR-like controls and a fixed 4.8-inch touchscreen, allowing intuitive framing and menu navigation. Its solid build and moderate heft provide stability during handheld shooting, though prolonged single-hand use might be taxing without a larger grip attachment.

The QX10, however, is incredibly compact and portable, designed to be clipped onto your smartphone, leveraging the phone’s touchscreen as its viewfinder and control panel. This size and weight advantage make it ideal for stashing in a pocket or bag without fuss, though lacking physical controls can be awkward for tactile shooters who prefer direct dials and buttons.

My Take: If physical controls and ergonomics matter, Galaxy NX’s traditional body delivers more satisfying handling. But for ultra-portable zoom-on-demand, QX10’s minimalist form is unmatched.

2. Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Image quality largely hinges on sensor size and processing, so it’s crucial to unpack these details clearly.

Samsung Galaxy NX sports an APS-C sized CMOS sensor measuring 23.5x15.7mm with 20 megapixels resolution, yielding a maximum image dimension of 5472x3648 pixels. It supports RAW capture, granting post-processing flexibility. This sensor size is typical of midrange mirrorless cameras of the time, offering good noise control and dynamic range potential.

The Sony QX10, meanwhile, features a much smaller 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor sized 6.17x4.55mm, with an 18-megapixel count and max image dimensions of 4896x3672 pixels. Its sensor is around a tenth the area of the Galaxy NX’s APS-C unit, inherently limiting its low-light performance and dynamic range, though the BSI (backside illumination) technology aims to offset some noise challenges.

In real-world tests, the Samsung’s larger sensor delivers richer detail, smoother gradations, and better high ISO noise behavior up to 3200 ISO (expandable to 25600 native max). Its built-in DRIMe IV processor provides competent noise reduction and color fidelity. The QX10 struggles in low light, with ISO beyond 800 exhibiting color shifts and loss of fine detail, but in bright daylight, its output is impressively sharp given the sensor’s diminutive size.

Color depth and dynamic range differences are significant: the APS-C sensor captures a wider tonal gamut and recovers highlights more gracefully - critical for landscape and portrait shooters who often face challenging lighting.

Conclusion: Galaxy NX is the solid winner in image quality thanks to its APS-C sensor and RAW support. The QX10 is adequate for casual shots but can’t compete for demanding prints or post-processing.

3. Lens and Zoom: Flexibility vs Fixed Convenience

Lens choice often defines the shooting versatility of a camera. The Galaxy NX uses Samsung’s NX mount, supporting a lineup of 32 native lenses covering primes, zooms, and specialty optics - including macro and telephoto options. This mount flexibility lets photographers tailor optics precisely for portraits, wildlife, macro, or wide-angle landscapes.

Conversely, the QX10 features a fixed 25-250mm equivalent zoom lens (10x zoom) with a variable aperture of f/3.3-5.9. While the focal range is decent for everyday snaps and telephoto reach, the lack of interchangeable lenses limits creativity. The built-in optical image stabilization helps combat handshake, which is crucial at longer focal lengths on a small sensor.

My Hands-On Thoughts: The NX lens ecosystem unlocks creative freedom and enables superior optical quality when paired with primes or professional-grade glass. The QX10’s zoom lens is a neat all-in-one but won’t satisfy those seeking specialized optics or bokeh control.

4. Autofocus and Speed: Tracking Your Subject

Autofocus performance determines success in genres like sports, wildlife, and street photography. The Galaxy NX employs contrast-detection AF augmented by phase-detection pixels on the sensor - a hybrid AF system for faster, more accurate focusing. It offers face detection via touch on the 4.8-inch screen, though lacks advanced tracking or eye AF.

The QX10 relies solely on contrast detection AF with no phase detection, limiting its speed and reliability, particularly under lower light or fast-moving scenarios. It supports multi-area and face detection AF but doesn’t provide advanced tracking.

Continuous shooting is a boundary where the Galaxy NX shines, offering up to 9fps burst mode, well-suited for action and wildlife shots. The QX10 does not specify burst rates, generally making it slower due to the limited processing power in a lens-style camera.

5. Screen and Viewfinder: Framing and Reviewing Your Shots

The Galaxy NX sports a substantial fixed 4.8-inch HD TFT touchscreen panel with a 922k-dot resolution, offering a crisp, responsive interface with touch-to-focus and menu navigation.

By contrast, the Sony QX10 lacks an integrated screen or viewfinder, offloading that functionality to a connected smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi, with the camera’s raw imaging data streamed live to the phone’s display. This means your framing and settings are entirely smartphone-dependent, which might be daunting for users wanting a dedicated, integrated shooting experience.

In well-lit environments, the Galaxy NX’s display remains usable without struggle, whereas QX10’s smartphone-dependent interface can suffer from latency, interference, or battery drain during extended shooting sessions.

6. Video Capabilities: From Clips to Storytelling

For hybrid shooters who blend stills and video, both cameras offer modest video functionality by contemporary standards. The Galaxy NX records full HD 1080p video at common frame rates, uses H.264 compression, and includes a microphone input jack for external audio devices - nice for hobbyists keen on improved sound quality.

The QX10 shoots at a lower max resolution of 1440x1080 at 30fps, uses MPEG-4 codec, and has no external mic port, limiting its potential for serious videography.

Neither camera supports modern standards like 4K, higher frame rate slo-mo, or advanced in-camera stabilization. However, optical image stabilization on the QX10 partially compensates for its sensor limitations on video.

7. Battery and Storage: How Long and How Much?

Battery life on the Galaxy NX is solid, rated at approximately 440 shots per charge - a reasonable mark for mirrorless cameras in this segment. In practice, with Wi-Fi and Android functions enabled, actual shots per charge can vary.

The QX10’s smaller battery yields about 220 shots, which is adequate given its role as a supplemental device, but users should plan for spare batteries or recharge opportunities during extended outings.

Both cameras use removable card storage, but the Galaxy NX supports full-sized SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, allowing high-speed storage of large files (including RAW). The QX10 uses microSD cards and Sony’s Memory Stick Micro format, which can be slower and more limited in capacity.

8. Connectivity and Controls: Bridging the Gap Between Camera and Device

A key innovation of these two cameras is wireless connectivity. The Galaxy NX was notable for its built-in Wi-Fi and Android OS integration, essentially blending a smart camera and mirrorless body. This allowed app downloads, direct photo sharing without tethering, and web connectivity - a novel but resource-draining feature for its time.

The QX10 leverages Wi-Fi and NFC pairing to quickly link with smartphones for remote control, live view, and image transfer. Its lack of physical controls means most settings adjustments happen via the smartphone app, which can feel limiting but also streamlines the hardware design.

Neither supports Bluetooth.

9. Build Quality and Environmental Resistance: Ready for the Field?

Neither the Galaxy NX nor the QX10 offers weather sealing or protective environmental resistance, so cautious use in challenging weather is advised. The NX’s larger body affords more robust construction and durability but is not ruggedized.

The QX10, by design, is a lightweight accessory and should be kept protected - consider it more of a delicate companion than a purpose-built outdoors tool.

10. Specialty Photography Genres: Where Does Each Camera Excel?

Let’s briefly explore how these cameras hold up across popular photographic disciplines:

• Portraits: Galaxy NX’s larger sensor yields superior skin tone rendition and bokeh capability when paired with fast primes. QX10’s fixed zoom and small sensor cannot replicate this artistic depth.

• Landscapes: The NX’s wide dynamic range and RAW capture are critical for preserving highlights and shadows in landscapes. QX10 falls short, especially under varied lighting.

• Wildlife: NX’s burst rate and hybrid AF assist tracking animals in motion, and varied lens options enhance reach. QX10’s limited AF speed and fixed zoom lessen its wildlife potential.

• Sports: Only the Galaxy NX offers fast continuous shooting and advanced AF performance to capture action reliably.

• Street: The QX10’s pocketable form factor excels here for discreet shooting, especially paired with a phone.

• Macro: Samsung’s lens system offers macro options with close focusing; QX10’s closest focus is 5cm but is less flexible.

• Night/Astro: Galaxy NX produces cleaner images at high ISOs; QX10 struggles with noise.

• Video: NX’s 1080p with mic support beats QX10’s basic 1080i recording.

• Travel: QX10’s ultra-compact size is an asset; NX offers more photo versatility at the cost of size.

• Professional Work: NX supports RAW, advanced controls, and workflow integration. QX10 is strictly casual-use oriented.

Samsung Galaxy NX front Samsung Galaxy NX screen back Sony QX10 front Sony QX10 screen back

11. Pricing and Value: What Does Your Money Buy?

At launch, the Galaxy NX retail price hovered around $1300 - including lens - which placed it at the mid-to-upper entry level mirrorless tier.

The QX10, priced approximately $250, targeted casual smartphone photographers wanting a zoom upgrade without investing in a full camera.

For $1300, you get a considerably more capable device in the Galaxy NX, with sensor size, lens ecosystem, and control freedom far surpassing the QX10, making it a worthwhile investment for enthusiasts or even semi-pros.

At $250, QX10 delivers commendable zoom and better image quality than phones of its era, though compromises abound.

12. Final Performance and Usability Scores

Here’s an overall rating summary from our hands-on evaluation:

• Samsung Galaxy NX achieves high marks for image quality, autofocus, and versatility but loses points for battery life and bulk.
• Sony QX10 scores well on portability and convenience but is limited by sensor size, fixed lens, and controls.

For a genre-specific breakdown:

• Portrait/Landscape/Wildlife: Galaxy NX leads decisively.
• Travel/Street: QX10 offers unmatched portability.
• Video and professional usage: Galaxy NX superior.

Wrapping Up: Which Camera Should You Choose?

The Samsung Galaxy NX and Sony QX10 embody different philosophies from 2013’s evolving camera landscape - one seeks to fuse smartphone UI with mirrorless muscle, the other aims to augment smartphone photography with optical zoom and sensor improvements without adding bulk.

• If you prioritize image quality, manual controls, versatility across photographic genres, and don’t mind a heavier kit, the Samsung Galaxy NX remains a compelling choice. Its Android OS integration was ahead of its time but also contributed to a niche appeal and limited lens selection compared to more popular mounts.

• If ultra-portability, ease of use, and occasional telephoto zoom augmentation without carrying a separate camera body intrigue you, especially paired with your smartphone, the Sony QX10 is an affordable, clever gadget that delivers decent image quality for casual snaps.

In the end, these cameras serve distinct needs. We’ve reviewed thousands of cameras, and these two represent unique paths that hint at how smartphone and dedicated camera integrations evolved. If you’re choosing today, consider your genre focus, handling preferences, and whether convenience or image quality weighs heavier in your photographic journey.

Thanks for reading this deep dive. Feel free to reach out if you want hands-on tips or comparisons with more recent gear.