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Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III

Portability
90
Imaging
34
Features
31
Overall
32
Samsung HZ15W front
 
Sony Alpha A7S III front
Portability
61
Imaging
65
Features
92
Overall
75

Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III Key Specs

Samsung HZ15W
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 24-240mm (F3.3-5.8) lens
  • 249g - 105 x 61 x 37mm
  • Introduced February 2009
  • Alternate Name is WB550
Sony A7S III
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 80 - 102400 (Raise to 409600)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 699g - 129 x 97 x 81mm
  • Launched July 2020
  • Replaced the Sony A7S II
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Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III Overview

Here, we will be analyzing the Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Samsung and Sony. The sensor resolution of the HZ15W (12MP) and the A7S III (12MP) is pretty similar but the HZ15W (1/2.3") and A7S III (Full frame) have totally different sensor sizing.

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The HZ15W was unveiled 12 years earlier than the A7S III which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Samsung HZ15W being a Compact camera and the Sony A7S III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the HZ15W matches up versus the A7S III in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Samsung HZ15W over the Sony A7S III

 HZ15W A7S III 

Reasons to pick Sony A7S III over the Samsung HZ15W

 A7S III HZ15W 
LaunchedJuly 2020February 2009More modern by 138 months
Screen typeFully articulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1440k460kSharper screen (+980k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Samsung HZ15W and Sony A7S III

 HZ15W A7S III 
Manually focus Very accurate focus
Screen size3"3"Same screen measurement

Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III Physical Comparison

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Samsung HZ15W features exterior measurements of 105mm x 61mm x 37mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") with a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Sony A7S III has proportions of 129mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2") and a weight of 699 grams (1.54 lbs).

Analyze the Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have during that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the HZ15W compared to the A7S III.

Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the HZ15W and A7S III is 90 and 61 respectively.

Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III top view buttons comparison

Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is tough to see the difference between sensor sizes simply by reviewing technical specs. The image underneath should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the HZ15W and A7S III.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras feature the identical megapixel count albeit not the same sensor sizes. The HZ15W uses the tinier sensor which will make getting bokeh tougher. The more aged HZ15W is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.

Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III sensor size comparison

Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III Screen and ViewFinder

Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Samsung HZ15W
Portrait photography with Sony A7S III
31
focusing manually
features face detection focus
manual exposure not available
external flash not possible
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
71
focusing manually
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports face detection focusing
supports RAW formats
MP count low (12 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Samsung HZ15W as a Street photography camera
Sony A7S III as a Street photography camera
52
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
screen is fixed
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
more heavy than competition (249g)
76
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
boasts touch focus
environment proofing
very good ISO range (102,400)
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Sports Comparison

Samsung HZ15W Sports photography advice
Sony A7S III Sports photography advice
27
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
76
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports tracking autofocus
environment proofing
good battery pack (600 CIPA)
sensor has phase detect AF
MP count low (12 megapixels)
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Travel Comparison

Samsung HZ15W Travel photography highlights
Sony A7S III Travel photography highlights
54
has built in flash
fairly wide (24mm)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
more heavy than competition (249 grams)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
does not contain selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
70
good battery pack (600 per charge)
environment proofing
connects via bluetooth
boasts touch focus
display is selfie friendly
MP count low (12 megapixels)
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Landscape Comparison

Samsung HZ15W Landscape photography details
Sony A7S III Landscape photography details
40
focusing manually
fairly wide (24mm)
nice screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
manual exposure not available
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
doesn't have Timelapse mode
77
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
very good ISO range (102,400)
supports RAW formats
environment proofing
good battery pack (600 CIPA)
has double storage slots
MP count low (12 megapixels)
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Vlogging Comparison

Samsung HZ15W as a Vlogging camera
Sony A7S III as a Vlogging camera
28
fairly wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
features face detection focus
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
does not contain selfie friendly display
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
doesn't have external microphone port
more heavy than competition (249 grams)
77
display is selfie friendly
built-in touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detection focusing
video resolution high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
includes external mic port
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Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A7S III Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Samsung HZ15W and Sony A7S III
 Samsung HZ15WSony Alpha A7S III
General Information
Manufacturer Samsung Sony
Model type Samsung HZ15W Sony Alpha A7S III
Also called WB550 -
Class Small Sensor Compact Pro Mirrorless
Introduced 2009-02-23 2020-07-21
Body design Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz XR
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Full frame
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 35.6 x 23.8mm
Sensor area 27.7mm² 847.3mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 16:9, 4:3 and 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 4240 x 2832
Highest native ISO 3200 102400
Highest enhanced ISO - 409600
Minimum native ISO 80 80
RAW support
Minimum enhanced ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points - 759
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 24-240mm (10.0x) -
Largest aperture f/3.3-5.8 -
Macro focusing range 5cm -
Amount of lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fully articulated
Display diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 460k dot 1,440k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 9,440k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.91x
Features
Min shutter speed 16s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/8000s
Continuous shutter speed - 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 4.70 m no built-in flash
Flash options Auto, Auto & Red-eye reduction, Fill-in flash, Slow sync, Flash off, Red eye fix no built-in flash
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (60, 30, 15 fps) 3840 x 2160 @ 120p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 100p / 280 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 140 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.265, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 100p / 100 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 50 Mbps, XAVC S, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM
Highest video resolution 1280x720 3840x2160
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, XAVC S, XAVC HS, XAVC S-1, H.264, H.265
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 249 gr (0.55 pounds) 699 gr (1.54 pounds)
Physical dimensions 105 x 61 x 37mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") 129 x 97 x 81mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 85
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.6
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 2993
Other
Battery life - 600 photographs
Battery form - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (10 sec, 2 sec, Double, Motion Timer) Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures))
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Storage media SC/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus, internal Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots
Storage slots 1 Dual
Retail price $330 $3,499