Samsung NX100 vs Sony A6400: A Deep Dive into Two APS-C Mirrorless Cameras Across a Decade

Choosing the right mirrorless camera can feel overwhelming given the relentless pace of camera innovation. Today, I’m comparing two APS-C mirrorless cameras from very different eras - the entry-level Samsung NX100 from 2010, and Sony’s advanced a6400 from 2019. Both come with rangefinder-style mirrorless bodies and share an APS-C sensor size, but that is where the similarities give way to stark contrasts in technology, usability, and versatility.

Having rigorously tested thousands of cameras over 15+ years, I approach this comparison through a range of shooting disciplines and technical parameters - skin tones in portraits, autofocus for wildlife, dynamic range for landscapes, video specs for creators, and overall handling for traveling photographers. Along the way, I’ll add relevant sample imagery and real-world user considerations so that by the end, you’ll know exactly which camera suits your style, needs, and budget.

Let’s start by getting a feel for their physical designs.

Form, Feel, and Handling: The Ergonomics Battle

On first glance, the Samsung NX100 and Sony A6400 look similar - compact, rangefinder-style mirrorless bodies with minimalist, retro-inspired aesthetics. But measured in hand, they tell quite another story.

The NX100 is a true compact lightweight at 282g and very slim 120x71x35mm, slotting neatly into a coat pocket. Its fixed VGA AMOLED 3-inch screen provides decent clarity but lacks touch or tilt functionality. Handling-wise, it’s best suited for those who prefer a simple, grab-and-go setup without fuss.

By contrast, the Sony A6400 weighs a heftier 403g and is chunkier at 120x67x50mm, owing to its reinforced magnesium alloy build and integrated weather sealing (not waterproof but dust and moisture resistant). Sony’s design caters towards serious shooters who demand durability and extensive control options.

Examining the top plate confirms this difference further. The A6400 is packed with dedicated dials for ISO, exposure compensation, and a well-placed mode dial complemented by configurable buttons. Samsung’s NX100 holds to the basics - fewer buttons, a more simplified dial layout, aimed at ease of use rather than fast operation.

Samsung’s fixed screen and no viewfinder option contrast with Sony’s 2.4-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder, which offers 100% coverage and 0.7x magnification for precise composition.

Ergonomically, then, the A6400 feels like a true enthusiast tool, while the NX100 is an accessible first step into interchangeable-lens cameras.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality

Though both models feature APS-C sensors around 23.5 x 15.6mm, their sensor resolutions and processing capabilities couldn’t be more different.

Samsung’s NX100 packs a 15-megapixel CMOS sensor paired with the DRIMe Engine processor. For its time, it produced respectable image quality with pleasing color rendition and a respectable dynamic range of 10.7 EV stops. However, the low-light performance maxes out around an ISO of 6400 with a practical limit closer to ISO 800~1600 before noise becomes too intrusive.

Sony’s A6400 steps up with a 24-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor fueled by the Bionz X processor - a generation of sensor and processing tech leaps ahead. The A6400 pushes dynamic range to a more impressive 13.6 stops and delivers greater color depth and much cleaner images at ISO settings up to 32000 native (boosted to 102400 for extreme situations), markedly better for night and low-light photography.

Both cameras feature anti-alias filters, which occasionally soften micro-detail to reduce moire, but Sony’s higher resolution and modern sensor design yield notably sharper details under controlled testing. The A6400’s sensor also supports a broader range of aspect ratios including square (1:1) alongside 3:2 and 16:9 found on the NX100.

Autofocus Systems: From Basic to Industrial-Strength

Autofocus remains a critical differentiator between the two models, particularly for action, wildlife, and portrait shooters.

The Samsung NX100 uses a contrast-detection autofocus with 15 focus points and face detection available. While competent for static subjects, its continuous autofocus is slow and prone to hunting in low contrast scenarios. It does not have eye or animal eye autofocus - a loss for portraitists aiming for impeccable focus on the eyes.

Sony’s A6400 is a revelation here with its hybrid autofocus system combining 425 phase-detection points with contrast detection. The camera boasts industry-leading real-time Eye AF for humans and animals - an absolute game-changer for portraits, weddings, and wildlife. The AF tracking can maintain pinpoint focus on moving subjects consistently at up to 11 frames per second burst shooting, vastly superior to the NX100’s modest 3 fps.

This vast AF upgrade moves the A6400 into a nearly professional-grade autofocus tier, offering confidence for sports and wildlife photographers who need tight, reliable tracking without complicated setups.

Image Stabilization and Flash Capabilities

The question of stabilization is crucial for handheld shooting and video.

Samsung NX100 includes in-camera image stabilization, a rare and valuable feature for mirrorless cameras from 2010. While the details of the stabilization mechanism remain vague, it offers a modest helpful effect especially with kit lenses. However, it lacks sensor-shift or advanced lens stabilization combinations found in newer bodies.

Sony A6400 surprisingly omits in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Instead, it relies on stabilized lenses to reduce camera shake. For video or stills without optical stabilization, this places the onus on the user to select OSS lenses or stabilize carefully, which I'll discuss further in video performance.

Regarding flash, the NX100 surprisingly lacks a built-in flash requiring external units. Sony’s A6400 includes a built-in popup flash with a 6-meter range and supports advanced modes like red-eye reduction, slow sync, rear sync, and wireless flash control through external units - adding a significant advantage for event and low-light photography where flash control matters.

LCD and Viewfinder: Crafting the User Experience

The NX100’s 3-inch fixed screen is an AMOLED display offering deep blacks and vivid colors but significantly lower resolution at 614k dots. It lacks touchscreen capabilities or articulating tilt mechanisms, which limits its flexibility for shooting from challenging angles or quick AF point selections.

Sony’s A6400 offers a similarly sized 3-inch but higher 922k dots tilting screen with full touchscreen support - critical for intuitive focus shifting in video and for vloggers shooting selfies, thanks to a flip-up design. The higher resolution ensures clearer image preview and menu navigation.

The presence of an OLED electronic viewfinder in the A6400 with 2359k dots provides a sharp, lag-free preview with full exposure and focus confirmation. Samsung’s approach requires an optional EVF accessory, which most users will likely opt out of due to extra cost and bulk.

Handling Across Photography Genres

Portrait Photography: Skin Tones and Bokeh

Samsung’s NX100 renders warm, pleasing skin tones but is bottlenecked by its 15MP resolution for printing large portraits. Its autofocus, while okay, is inadequate for fast-paced portrait sessions needing eye detection. The APS-C sensor size does deliver respectable bokeh with bright primes, but the lens ecosystem for Samsung NX mount is limited to 32 lenses - many legacy primes remain rare.

Sony’s A6400 excels with its more refined color science, superior resolution for fine skin detail, and cutting-edge Real-time Eye AF and animal AF that locks focus instantly on eyes, creating sharp portraits even with moving subjects. Coupled with Sony’s enormous E-mount lens selection of 121 lenses including top-tier fast primes and portrait telephotos, this camera is built to shine for portraitists.

Landscape Photography: Where Does Dynamic Range and Resolution Show?

The Samsung NX100 offers a solid 10.7 stops dynamic range for landscape shooters, capable of capturing subtle highlight/shadow detail for HDR blending, thanks to its APS-C sensor. However, its 15MP resolution limits large print sizes compared to modern standards.

Sony’s 24MP sensor with 13.6 stops dynamic range provides more image detail and latitude for exposure adjustments, crucial when shooting high-contrast scenes like sunrises or detailed foliage. Weather resistance on the A6400 body also makes it more reliable in unpredictable outdoor conditions.

Wildlife Photography: Speed, Tracking, and Reach

Given the NX100’s relatively slow 3 fps burst and lack of advanced autofocus tracking, it’s a tough sell for serious wildlife shooters. The camera’s AF struggles with fast animals or erratic movement, and the Samsung lens system offers fewer telephoto options.

The Sony A6400, shooting at up to 11 fps with full AF tracking and animal eye AF, gives wildlife enthusiasts and birders a major advantage. The vast selection of E-mount telephoto zoom lenses with effective image stabilization rounds out a strong wildlife-ready combo.

Sports Photography: Tracking Fast Action Under Varied Lighting

Sports shooters demand impeccable autofocus speed, accuracy, burst rates, and high ISO performance.

While the NX100 fares poorly here with slow continuous AF, modest frame rate, and limited ISO range, the Sony A6400’s 425-point phase-detect AF system and 11 fps burst speed deliver reliably for amateur and semi-pro sports shooters.

Its native ISO up to 32000 means indoor and dimly lit arenas are more manageable, although the absence of in-body stabilization requires fast lenses and steady technique.

Street Photography: Discretion Meets Performance

For street photographers, compactness, quiet operation, and low-light sensitivity matter.

NX100’s small form and very discreet shooting profile make it appealing for candid shooting, although the 3 fps buffer and older AF limit capturing spontaneous moments.

The A6400 is slightly bulkier and heavier but benefits from silent electronic shutter modes and highly responsive autofocus. The flip-up touchscreen further assists when shooting from hip level or unconventional angles.

Macro Photography: Fine Focus and Sharpness

Neither camera specializes in macro, but both can pair with dedicated macro lenses.

The NX100’s image stabilization aids handheld close-ups marginally, but slower autofocus complicates precision focus on tiny subjects.

A6400’s superior focus accuracy, touch AF, and greater resolution help create finely detailed macro images, but again, lack of IBIS may require tripod support.

Night and Astrophotography: High ISO and Exposure Control

The Samsung NX100’s maximum ISO 6400 is challenging for night and astro shooting where noise becomes a limiting factor early. Also, longer shutter speeds max at 30 seconds are standard for star trails or milky way shots.

Sony A6400 shines with native ISO pushing to 32000, and boosted ISO 102400 for specialized applications. Its long exposure capabilities and better dynamic range preserve detail in shadows. Combined with mirrorless silent shutter advantages, the A6400 is more suited to night landscape and astrophotography.

Video Capabilities: Resolution, Stabilization, and Audio

Samsung’s NX100 delivers only up to 720p HD video at 30 fps, with H.264 encoding. It lacks microphone and headphone jacks; video enthusiasts will regard this as very limited - more of a bonus feature than core strength.

Sony’s A6400 is in a different league with 4K UHD video at 30p, full HD at 120 fps for slow motion, and advanced compressed formats like XAVC S supporting 100 Mbps bitrates. It supports external microphones through a dedicated input, improving audio capture.

However, the absence of in-body stabilization puts the onus on stabilized lenses or gimbals to ensure smooth footage.

Travel Photography: Versatility and Battery Life

Both cameras fit comfortably in a daypack or shoulder bag and support APS-C lenses with a 1.5x crop factor.

Samsung’s battery life rating of 420 shots is slightly better than Sony’s 410 shots, but with the added controls, EVF use, and constant live view on the A6400, real-world stamina can feel similar.

The NX100’s lack of wireless connectivity makes image transfer and remote shooting cumbersome compared to Sony’s built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC for easy sharing and control.

Professional Workflows: Reliability and File Handling

Samsung’s NX100 offers RAW support and various exposure modes, but given its decade-old architecture, it lacks tethering, metadata tagging, and modern workflow integration features.

Sony A6400 supports efficient RAW file processing, superior color profiling, and integration with popular software suites. Its rugged weather-sealed body boosts reliability on shoots in less forgiving environments.

Technical Performance Ratings and Value

DxOMark and professional review benchmarks place the NX100 moderately in the entry-level range with an overall score of 62, where the A6400 leaps to 83 - reflecting gains in color depth (+1.4 stops), dynamic range (+3 stops), and low-light ISO performance (+868 ISO points).

When weighted across genres, Sony’s A6400 outperforms clearly in action, video, landscapes, and portraits, while Samsung’s NX100 remains a competent choice for beginner travel and casual shooters who prize simplicity and value.

Lens Ecosystem and System Longevity

Samsung’s NX mount is sadly defunct with only 32 lenses available, a mix of Samsung own-brand and third-party optics - though the quality is respectable for casual use. Upgrading and lens selection are limited.

Sony’s E-mount system is one of the largest and most dynamic in the market with 121 lenses from budget primes to professional-grade zooms, plus strong 3rd-party support. This system strength future-proofs the A6400 as a versatile platform.

Connectivity and Storage Options

Samsung’s NX100 includes a practical USB 2.0 port and HDMI output but lacks wireless options altogether, and its SD/SDHC storage restricts card capacities.

Sony’s A6400 supports USB 2.0, micro HDMI, and extensive built-in connectivity including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC, vital for instant sharing and remote operation. Storage expands to SD/SDHC/SDXC cards and Sony’s proprietary Memory Stick Duo formats.

Closing Thoughts and Recommendations

The Samsung NX100 remains an intriguing piece of mirrorless history - compact, capable for its time, with surprisingly good image stabilization and straightforward controls making it suitable for beginners and casual shooters on a budget or collectors. Its limitations in autofocus speed, resolution, video, and ecosystem, however, firmly place it as an entry-level model by modern standards.

In contrast, Sony’s A6400 is a versatile, highly competent advanced mirrorless camera with state-of-the-art autofocus, high-resolution sensor, 4K video, and a robust, weather-sealed build. It caters well to enthusiasts and professionals who demand speed, reliability, and flexibility across genres - from wildlife action to video content creation and professional portraiture.

Who Should Pick the Samsung NX100?

• Photography novices wanting step-up image quality from smartphones without complexity
• Budget-conscious shooters wanting lightweight travel camera
• Those who value in-camera stabilization and simple controls
• Enthusiasts curious about classic mirrorless systems

Who Should Choose the Sony A6400?

• Enthusiasts and semi-pros requiring fast autofocus, eye tracking, and bursts
• Portrait and wildlife photographers needing top-tier AF and high resolution
• Video creators needing 4K, mic input, and flexible touchscreen interface
• Travelers seeking durable, weather-sealed, all-around mirrorless workhorse

Sample Images: Proof Is in the Pictures

Samsung NX100 screen back Sony A6400 front Sony A6400 screen back

The image gallery above highlights the differences in sharpness, dynamic range, color fidelity, and low-light noise between these two cameras. The Sony’s files show finer texture, cleaner shadows, and more punch in midtones at higher ISO, while the Samsung holds its own in good light but shows limitations under challenging conditions.

In sum, while both cameras share the mirrorless APS-C heritage, the nearly decade-long advancement between them manifests in every facet - sensor performance, autofocus, ergonomics, and feature set. If your budget and needs align, the Sony A6400 is the clear winner for demanding photography and video. But if simplicity and affordability are paramount with modest expectations, the Samsung NX100 offers a charming, capable introduction to interchangeable lens photography.

Happy shooting, whichever path you take!