Samsung MV800 vs Sony RX100

The following is a in-depth review of the Samsung MV800 and Sony RX100, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Samsung and Sony. The sensor resolution of the MV800 (16MP) and the RX100 (20MP) is fairly close but the MV800 (1/2.3") and RX100 (1") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The MV800 was announced 12 months before the RX100 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Samsung MV800 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going in to a more detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the MV800 matches up vs the RX100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Samsung MV800 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The whole galleries are available at Samsung MV800 Gallery & Sony RX100 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Samsung MV800 has got outside dimensions of 92mm x 56mm x 10mm (3.6" x 2.2" x 0.4") having a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs) while the Sony RX100 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Contrast the Samsung MV800 and Sony RX100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the MV800 compared to the RX100.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the MV800 and RX100 is 97 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by looking through technical specs. The picture underneath will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the MV800 and RX100.

As you can tell, each of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The MV800 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony RX100 will result in greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged MV800 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.