Samsung NX1 vs. Samsung WB750: An In-Depth Comparison for Photographers with Ambitions

Choosing a camera can often feel like navigating a maze, especially when two models come from the same brand but target vastly different users. Today, I’ll walk you through a comprehensive comparison between the Samsung NX1 - a pro-grade mirrorless flagship launched in 2014 - and the compact Samsung WB750, a budget-friendly superzoom from 2011. Both have their charms, yet they serve entirely different photographic purposes. My goal is to help you understand where each shines, based on hands-on testing and detailed technical insights, so you can find your perfect match.

First Impressions: Size, Handling, and Build Quality

Starting with handling, the Samsung NX1 unmistakably feels like a serious professional tool. It flaunts a robust, SLR-style mirrorless design that's solid and weather-sealed. In contrast, the WB750 is a traditional compact superzoom with a small sensor and a super-telephoto lens. Note the physical size difference in the image above - the NX1 is more than twice as heavy and sizeable.

During extended shooting sessions, I found the NX1’s generous grip and button layout accommodate a variety of hand sizes comfortably. Its weather sealing adds peace of mind for outdoor work, especially landscape or wildlife photographers who often face harsh conditions. The WB750, on the other hand, excels in portability. It slips easily in a jacket pocket or small bag, perfect for casual travel or street photography where discretion is valued over extensive manual control.

For ergonomics fans, the NX1 boasts a top-plate LCD and a customizable control scheme, while the WB750 goes simpler with fixed controls and no viewfinder. I’ll dig into these more shortly.

Control Designs and User Interface: Pro Flexibility vs. Compact Simplicity

Comparing the top views reveals the NX1’s abundant dials and buttons versus the WB750’s minimalism. The NX1 integrates dedicated dials for shutter speed, exposure compensation, mode selection, and ISO - all within easy reach, facilitating speedy changes without diving into menus. The WB750, constrained by size, opts for touchscreen and simple command dials but lacks physical control depth.

In practical shooting, this translates to faster, more intuitive adjustments with the NX1, especially in fast-changing situations like sports or wildlife. The WB750 is friendlier for beginners who prefer point-and-shoot simplicity but don’t mind occasional menu navigation.

Diving into the Heart of the Matter: Sensor Size and Image Quality

The biggest gap between these cameras lies in their sensors:

• Samsung NX1: 28-megapixel APS-C BSI-CMOS sensor (23.5 x 15.7 mm), no anti-aliasing filter
• Samsung WB750: 13-megapixel 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor (6.17 x 4.55 mm), with anti-aliasing filter

The NX1’s sensor is roughly 13 times larger in area, which is monumental for image quality and versatility. In my lab tests and field shooting, the NX1 delivers excellent resolution and fine detail preservation. The removal of the anti-aliasing filter sharpens images further but demands precise lens quality - luckily, Samsung's NX mount lenses meet this standard nicely.

The WB750’s tiny sensor compromises resolution and dynamic range to squeeze a powerful 18x zoom into a pocketable body. It’s fine for casual snapshots and web sharing but can struggle with noise beyond ISO 800, especially in low light.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Coverage

Now, autofocus makes or breaks real-world usability:

• NX1: Hybrid autofocus with 209 AF points (153 cross-type), including phase-detection; face detection and live view AF enhancements.
• WB750: Contrast-detection autofocus only; face detection but limited AF area options; details on AF points unavailable.

Testing these, the NX1 wields a highly responsive and accurate AF system, locking focus rapidly even in dim lighting and tracking moving subjects with confidence. For wildlife and sports, this is a game-changer. The WB750’s AF routine is slower, often hunting under low contrast, and best for stationary subjects or casual street shots.

Display, Viewfinder, and Exposure Tools

User interface and image review tools directly impact your shooting experience:

The NX1 offers a bright, tilting 3-inch touchscreen with 1036k-dot resolution and a 2360k-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 100% coverage and 0.7x magnification. This viewfinder rivals many DSLRs and aids precise framing and critical focusing in daylight.

The WB750 features a fixed 3-inch TFT touchscreen with 460k dots - adequate but less sharp and non-articulated. It has no EVF, requiring sole reliance on the LCD, which can become challenging in bright outdoor environments.

For exposure, both support full manual modes plus shutter and aperture priority. NX1’s advanced metering and customizable button layouts give pros the confidence they need for creative control.

Lens Ecosystem and Focal Range Flexibility

Samsung’s NX mount has a modest yet respectable lineup of 32 lenses covering everything from wide-angle primes to super telephotos. I tested the NX1 mainly with the 16-50mm f/2-2.8 S ED, an outstanding standard zoom, and observed superb sharpness and minimal distortion. Plus, manual focus and aperture rings on select lenses boost creative precision.

Comparatively, the WB750 offers a fixed lens with 24-432mm equivalent focal length (18x zoom) and aperture from f/3.2 to f/5.8. While versatile for everyday use, the variable aperture limits depth of field control and low-light performance, especially at the long end.

If you plan to expand your kit or demand specialized optics (macro, tilt-shift, ultrawide), the NX1 opens far more doors.

Burst Shooting and Continuous Performance

Sports, wildlife, and action photographers often prioritize frame rates:

• NX1: Up to 15fps continuous shooting
• WB750: Up to 10fps continuous shooting

The NX1 also supports fast buffer clearing via the USB 3.0 port and robust internal processing with its DRIMe 5 engine. This translates to reliable fast shooting with minimal lag, allowing you to capture fleeting moments precisely.

The WB750’s 10fps burst is impressive for a compact but tends to slow as the buffer fills, especially shooting JPEG-only with no RAW support.

Low-Light and High-ISO Performance

Thanks to its larger APS-C sensor and cleaner signal chain, the NX1 yields consistently better low-light images:

• DxOMark testing reports DXO low-light ISO around 1363 for NX1, meaning usable shots with minimal noise up to ISO 3200 or higher.
• The WB750's small sensor struggles beyond ISO 800, with muddier details and more aggressive noise reduction sacrificing sharpness.

For nighttime photography, astrophotography, or event shooting, the NX1 is clearly superior.

Video Capabilities: 4K, Formats, and Audio Controls

Video is vital for many shooters today:

• NX1: 4K UHD up to 30p, DCI 4K (4096×2160) at 24p, H.265 codec, microphone and headphone ports, time-lapse video recording
• WB750: Full HD 1080p at 30fps max, H.264 codec, no audio inputs, no 4K, no time lapse video

The NX1 handles video like a pro camcorder, offering clean, sharp 4K files with good color depth and the ability to monitor audio levels via headphone output. This makes it useful for hybrid shooters or multimedia storytellers.

I often test video stabilization by handholding at 85mm equivalent: the WB750’s optical image stabilization is effective but cannot compete with dedicated in-body or lens stabilization on higher-end cameras. The NX1 lacks in-body stabilization but compensates via higher shutter speeds and, depending on lens, optical stabilization - though some new NX lenses incorporate it natively.

Battery Life and Storage Medium

Having reliable battery life is practical, especially outdoors:

• The NX1’s BP1900 battery delivers around 500 shots per charge - solid for a mirrorless flagship.
• The WB750 uses the SLB-10A, with typical compact camera endurance; exact shots per charge are less documented but likely shorter due to smaller battery size.

Both accept SD cards; the NX1 supports faster UHS-I/II cards for quicker write speeds essential for high-res bursts and 4K video; WB750 also supports SD/SDHC/SDXC but at UHS-I speeds.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

On the connectivity front, the NX1 is more future-proof:

• Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC for remote shooting, image transfer, and firmware updates.
• USB 3.0 and full-size HDMI output.

The WB750 lacks wireless connectivity and uses USB 2.0, making file transfer slower and less convenient in our increasingly wireless world.

What About Weather Sealing? Durability Under Fire

The NX1 shines with comprehensive weather sealing against dust and moisture - an important consideration for adventure and landscape photographers who work in challenging environments.

The WB750 is a typical compact - not weather sealed and less durable against elements. So, keep it indoors or on easy-going outings.

Let’s See Some Visual Evidence: Real-World Shots Comparison

Samsung NX1 front Samsung NX1 screen back Samsung WB750 screen back

The gallery above offers a glimpse:

• Portrait shots from the NX1 show excellent skin tone reproduction, smooth bokeh thanks to fast lenses and large sensor, and consistently sharp eyes thanks to its advanced AF with face detection.
• WB750 portraits are acceptable but flatter, with less subject separation and detail.
• Landscape photos exhibit vast dynamic range with the NX1, capturing shadows and highlights faithfully. The WB750’s small sensor clips highlights more easily.
• Telephoto wildlife shots from the NX1 are crisp, aided by its fast AF and high burst rate. The WB750 can reach farther optically but loses detail and sharpness quickly.
• Low-light street scenes favor the NX1, which captures ambient details that the WB750 mutes with noise.

Genre-by-Genre Performance Assessment

Here’s a shorthand: the NX1 excels in nearly every category - portrait, landscape, wildlife, sports, macro, night, video, professional workflow, and travel (if size is manageable). The WB750 mostly scores well in street photography (discreet, superzoom reach), casual travel, and simple everyday snaps.

Overall Performance Scores: Who Comes Out On Top?

No surprises here: the NX1 leads with an overall DXOmark score of 83, high color depth and dynamic range, and excellent low-light capacity. The WB750 isn’t tested on DXOmark, but its specs and real-world results position it as an entry-level compact only.

Recommendations for Every Photographer’s Pocket

• If you’re a professional or serious enthusiast searching for a versatile, rugged system capable of high-res stills, fast AF for action, rich video options, and an expandable lens ecosystem, the Samsung NX1 is a gem (especially if found at a good price today). It’s a camera that demands your time to master but rewards handsomely.

• If you want a lightweight, affordable camera for travel, street photography, or casual family shots with a massive zoom and straightforward operation, the Samsung WB750 is still a worthy pocket companion. Just temper expectations on image quality and flexibility.

• For portrait photographers, the NX1’s large sensor and sophisticated AF (face detection, eye detection) deliver skin tones and bokeh that the WB750 cannot match.

• Landscape shooters will appreciate the NX1’s larger dynamic range and weather sealing; the WB750’s compactness comes at the cost of image purity.

• Wildlife and sports photographers must favor fast, accurate AF and burst rates, making the NX1 the clear winner.

• Video creators benefit from NX1’s 4K and better audio options; the WB750’s video is adequate for casual use only.

A Few Personal Notes from My Experience

Using the NX1 feels like stepping into a professional’s shoes - every control is thoughtfully placed, and the image quality is often outstanding even in demanding lighting. It’s not the smallest camera, so for some, daily carry might be cumbersome, but its presence commands respect. The WB750, in contrast, is a classic point-and-shoot with a long zoom limb, great for spontaneous shooting when you want to travel light and not fuss.

If budget permits and your ambitions exceed snapshots, the NX1 is a wise investment even years after launch. For casual shooting, the WB750 or similar compacts remain valid choices, especially when size and convenience are king.

In conclusion, these two cameras personify very different philosophies in photography gear - one built for depth, control, and quality; the other for ease, reach, and mobility. Knowing what you prioritize in your photography journey will guide you correctly.

Thanks for reading my deep dive! Feel free to check out my video review linked above for hands-on demonstrations, and happy shooting.

Summary Table

I trust this comparison gives you a solid grasp of what to expect from these Samsung cameras. Your photographic goals and style ultimately dictate which fits best. Remember, no camera is perfect, but the right tool makes all the difference.

Happy shooting!