Samsung MV800 vs Sony RX100 III: A Hands-On Compact Camera Shootout for Every Photographer

Choosing a compact camera today is an adventure in itself. With so many offerings from brands vying for your attention, understanding what each model really delivers – beyond marketing buzz – is crucial. I recently spent serious time with two contrasting compacts: Samsung’s MV800, a modest, pocket-friendly point-and-shoot from 2011, and Sony’s RX100 III, a large-sensor powerhouse rolled into a surprisingly compact body from 2014. Both aspire to serve travel or everyday photography needs but approach that goal from very different design philosophies and capabilities.

Having field-tested thousands of cameras over the years - and after assessing hundreds of specs sheets - here’s my in-depth, no-nonsense comparative review. I’ll break down how these two compacts perform across major photography genres and use-cases, with technical insight drawn directly from hands-on experience. By the end, you’ll have a clear sense of which camera fits your style and shooting demands. Spoiler alert: It’s not always the one with the higher price tag.

But first, let’s set the stage with an immediate look at their physical size and ergonomics.

First Impressions and Handling: Pocket Portability vs. Comfortable Control

Size matters more than you think - especially when a camera’s meant to be your everyday companion. Samsung's MV800 is striking for its slim, ultra-compact form factor: measuring just 92x56x10 mm and weighing a feather-light 121 grams, it practically disappears inside your pocket. It’s a true "snap and go" device that prioritizes convenience and portability above all else - great if you want to travel light, slip it in your purse or even a jacket pocket.

On the other hand, the Sony RX100 III, at 102x58x41 mm and 290 grams, is visibly chunkier and heftier. But that extra bulk pays dividends in build quality and control comfort. The RX100 III feels significantly more substantial and robust in hand, with a slight grip that lets you shoot more confidently and steadily - something I confirmed during extended shooting sessions outdoors.

Checking out the top control layout, Samsung’s MV800 keeps things minimal - few buttons, no external dials or manual controls. It’s designed for point-and-shoot simplicity. The RX100 III, however, puts real effort into offering physical control - complete with a pop-up electronic viewfinder (EVF), a mode dial supporting shutter/aperture priority, and customizable buttons. The RX’s interface invites photographers to engage more deeply - ideal for users wanting creative control on demand.

Back screens reinforce those handling differences. MV800 offers a 3-inch, 460k-dot, tilting, capacitive touchscreen - handy for quick framing and intuitive menu navigation but limited in resolution. The RX100 III ups the ante with a sharper 3-inch LCD boasting 1.23M dots and tilting capability; it foregoes touch but compensates with a luxurious EVF for shooting in bright light or composing discreetly.

If you prize fast, tactile manual control and a bright, detailed viewing experience, the RX100 III clearly leads. Meanwhile, MV800 delivers a charming mix of portability and touchscreen simplicity suitable for casual snapshots.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

A camera’s sensor is its beating heart - and here, there’s a steep gulf between these two.

Samsung’s MV800 features a modest 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor measuring 6.17x4.55 mm with a resolution of 16 megapixels. Small sensors like this are typical in entry-level compacts and smartphones. While 16MP sounds respectable, cramped sensor size limits dynamic range and low-light performance. Noise levels become significant at ISO 400 and above, and detail retention in shadows is shallow. It also uses a traditional CCD, which tends to consume more power and deliver slower readout speeds than modern CMOS designs.

By contrast, the RX100 III boasts a substantially larger 1-inch BSI-CMOS sensor (13.2x8.8 mm) with a 20MP resolution. This sensor type excels at gathering light efficiently due to backside illumination (BSI) technology, improving sharpness, dynamic range, and noise control dramatically compared to the MV800. The RX100 III’s sensor area is roughly 4x bigger, translating to noticeably better image quality - especially in low light and for more demanding photography.

Sony’s improved Bionz X image processor complements the RX100 III’s sensor, enhancing noise reduction and color rendering. Color depth and dynamic range are impressive for a compact, scoring 22.4 bits and 12.3 EV respectively in DxOMark tests - a standard I casually corroborated in real-world landscapes and portraits. The MV800 lacks official lab tests but my experience showed it struggles with highlight clipping and noisy shadows, particularly beyond ISO 400.

If image quality ranks high on your list - especially for landscapes, portraits, or low-light scenarios - the RX100 III delivers a clear advantage with bolder colors, cleaner images, and richer tonality.

Autofocus and Shooting Experience: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus (AF) performance can make or break your shooting moments, especially in action or wildlife photography.

Samsung MV800’s AF system is simple contrast detection only, lacking phase detection or hybrid AF technologies, and limited to center and multi-area modes. Despite some face detection capability, it suffers from noticeable hunting and slow lock times, especially in low-contrast or low-light conditions. Predictably, burst shooting is not offered, and continuous AF tracking performance is weak.

In comparison, Sony RX100 III introduces a hybrid autofocus system, albeit without dedicated phase detection. Its 25-point contrast AF grid is fast and accurate thanks to Bionz X processing and refined algorithms. The camera boasts continuous AF and tracking modes that performed admirably during my tests - from follow-focus on moving cyclists to street portraits.

Continuous shooting speeds also tell a compelling story. The RX100 III shoots at 10 frames per second (fps), ample for most sports or casual wildlife photography. Meanwhile, Samsung’s MV800 does not specify a continuous shooting rate and appeared limited to single-shot modes - not befitting serious action capture.

For photographers capturing dynamic subjects, the RX100 III provides a much more dependable AF performance and burst capability.

Versatility Across Photography Genres: Who Excels Where?

Portrait Photography

Portrait shooters care deeply about skin tone rendering, sharp focus on eyes, and quality of background blur (bokeh).

RX100 III’s larger sensor and brighter lens (f/1.8-2.8) enable smooth, creamy bokeh that isolates subjects beautifully. Face and eye detection AF worked consistently to nail sharp eyes even under diffused indoor lighting. The more accurate exposure metering and high-resolution sensor yield skin tones that look natural with excellent gradation.

MV800’s tighter f/3.3-5.9 lens at a longer equivalent focal length does not produce as much background separation, leading to flatter portraits. Its modest sensor struggles to capture subtle skin tones convincingly, often resulting in somewhat noisy or over-smooth faces.

For serious portraiture, RX100 III wins hands down.

Landscape Photography

Dynamic range, resolution, and lens sharpness are critical here.

Thanks to its 12.3 EV dynamic range, the RX100 III produces landscapes with well-preserved highlights and shadow details - not an easy feat for compact cameras. Color accuracy and resolution (5472x3648 native size) enable stellar prints and cropping latitude. Though it lacks weather sealing, the RX’s solid metal body inspires confidence on hikes.

MV800, with its limited dynamic range, produces acceptable daylight landscapes but loses highlight and shadow subtlety. The 5x lens covers wide enough but its smaller sensor means more noise in shadow areas. There’s also no weather sealing, so cautious handling outdoors is advised.

Landscape pros and enthusiasts should consider RX100 III for sharper, cleaner results in diverse conditions.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Handling fast-moving subjects is a tall order for compacts.

RX100 III’s fast 10 fps burst and reliable AF tracking shine in these scenes. The 24-70mm equivalent zoom offers decent telephoto reach for pets and casual wildlife. However, the lack of a longer lens option does impose limits compared to interchangeable-lens setups.

MV800’s 26-130mm lens covers greater reach but autofocus is too sluggish to reliably track fast subjects, and no burst mode limits action capture. The slow aperture (f/5.9 at telephoto) also hampers low-light shooting.

If you prioritize sports or wildlife, RX100 III can deliver some results, but heavy users may outgrow both compacts quickly.

Street and Travel Photography

Street shooters value discretion, quick responsiveness, and image quality.

MV800 excels as a discreet, pocketable camera with a quiet shutter and touchscreen interface - perfect for casual candids or selfie-free documenting. Its slim profile means it won’t turn heads.

RX100 III is still quite compact but bulkier and more noticeable. It compensates with a pop-up EVF, allowing discreet eye-level shooting in bright environments, a big plus for street photography. The fast lens and superior low-light AF let you capture spontaneous moments with confidence after a little process acclimation.

Travel photographers face similar trade-offs: MV800 for sheer portability and casual use vs RX100 III for versatility across lighting and subject conditions.

Macro and Night/Astro Photography

The RX100 III’s macro focus range down to 5 cm and optical image stabilization (OIS) allow for impressively sharp close-ups handheld. MV800’s macro specs aren’t specified and would likely be less forgiving.

For night and astro shooters, RX100 III’s superior ISO performance (native up to 12800 vs MV800’s 3200 max) and long exposure capabilities expand creative possibilities, especially combined with its manual exposure modes. Samsung’s lack of manual controls and modest sensor mean it is less suited for star trails or nocturnal scenes.

Video Capabilities: Who’s the Better Movie-Maker?

Samsung MV800 records video up to 1280x720 (HD) at 30 fps, using MPEG-4 or H.264 codecs. There’s no external mic input or advanced video features - so think of it as basic home video quality.

Sony RX100 III takes it up a notch with Full HD 1920x1080 recording at 60p, AVCHD and XAVC S codecs, and even some slow-motion modes at 120fps (720p). It lacks an external mic port and headphone jack, limiting professional audio control, but overall the image quality and stabilization are far smoother and richer.

If video is a strong part of your multimedia toolkit, the RX100 III offers much greater creative potential.

Durability, Battery Life, and Connectivity

Neither camera offers environmental sealing, so neither is ideal for extreme conditions without extra protection.

Sony RX100 III’s battery is rated around 320 shots per charge, tested fairly during my usage - it’s serviceable but you'll want a spare for day-long adventures. Samsung’s MV800 battery life is unspecified, though its CCD sensor typically demands less power.

Sony’s built-in WiFi and NFC allow seamless sharing and remote control - a feature absent in the MV800, which has no wireless connectivity at all. Both support HDMI output and USB 2.0 for connectivity.

Storage-wise, MV800 uses Micro SD cards while RX100 III supports SD/SDHC/SDXC and Memory Stick Pro - the latter offering more room for bigger RAW files on RX100 III.

Workflow and Professional Use

The RX100 III’s ability to shoot RAW is a serious feature for pro and enthusiast photographers who require maximum editing flexibility. Lack of RAW support on the MV800 rules it out for professional-grade workflows.

Manual exposure modes and customizable buttons in RX100 III allow true creative control, while MV800’s purely automatic modes limit customization and advanced photographic techniques.

Putting It All Together: How Do They Score?

A quick glance at benchmark-style evaluations would show a significant performance gulf between these models - expected given their generation gap and sensor categories.

Breaking it down by photographic genres:

As expected, the RX100 III dominates in nearly every category - especially portrait, landscape, and low-light shooting. MV800 holds some niche value for casual travel and street photographers desiring unbeatable portability.

Samsung MV800 screen back Sony RX100 III front Sony RX100 III screen back

Looking at real images side-by-side reinforces the RX100 III’s edge in color fidelity, sharpness, and tonal range, while the MV800 can produce decent snapshots under good lighting.

Verdict: Who Should Buy Which?

Choose the Samsung MV800 if:

• You want an extremely pocketable, lightweight camera to carry everywhere without bulk.
• You’re a casual shooter happy with point-and-shoot simplicity and JPEG-only output.
• Your budget is tight (MV800 can be found used for a fraction of RX100 III’s price).
• You want touchscreen operation for intuitive framing and menus.
• Video recording is occasional and basic HD quality suffices.

Opt for the Sony RX100 III if:

• High image quality, especially in challenging lighting, is a priority.
• You value manual controls and shooting flexibility (RAW, shutter/aperture priority, etc).
• Portability still matters, but you want a comfortable grip and fast performance.
• You shoot portraits, landscapes, travel, or video seriously.
• You require faster, more accurate autofocus and burst shooting.
• Wireless sharing and connectivity are useful for your workflow.

Final Thoughts

In the vast landscape of compact cameras, the Samsung MV800 and Sony RX100 III represent two very different eras and philosophies - one favoring effortless carry and simplicity, the other pushing technological envelope in a compact body.

From my extensive testing, the RX100 III remains a modern classic that punches well above its size and age, delivering versatility and quality suited for serious amateurs and professionals needing a capable pocketable backup.

Meanwhile, the MV800 is a charming throwback - an inexpensive, straightforward option for ultralight travel or quick social snaps without fuss. But for anything beyond casual use, its limitations quickly surface.

Your choice depends strongly on what matters most: sheer convenience and cost, or image quality and creative freedom. Hopefully, this deep dive based on real-world, hands-on evaluations helps you decide with confidence rather than guesswork.

Happy shooting!