Samsung NX200 vs Sony WX70: Two 2012 Cameras Tested Across the Photography Spectrum

Camera technology from the early 2010s marked a distinct transitional era. Entry-level mirrorless systems were beginning to challenge DSLRs, while compact digitals strove to cram a decade’s worth of capability into pocket-sized bodies. Today, I’m laying two such cameras side by side - the Samsung NX200, a dedicated entry-level mirrorless model, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70, a small sensor compact - to see how their 2012-era technologies hold up across a broad range of photographic disciplines.

Having spent years testing a wide array of cameras, I approach this with an eye tuned not just to specs but real-world experience and feeling. Let’s navigate together, peeling back their sensor tech, ergonomics, autofocus, and image quality layer by layer.

A Tale of Two Bodies: Size, Ergonomics, and Handling

Right off the bat, the physical differences tell a story of two distinct philosophies. The Samsung NX200 adopts a rangefinder-style mirrorless design, fairly robust and designed for interchangeable lenses. Meanwhile, the Sony WX70 is a slim, pocketable compact aimed at casual snapshots and convenience.

At 117mm wide, 63mm tall, and 36mm thick, the NX200 provides a substantial grip, enabling photographers to hold it steady even during longer shoots. It weighs about 223 grams without a lens - lightweight for an interchangeable-lens system, but all the more so given the heftier APS-C sensor internally.

By contrast, the WX70 is svelte at 92x52x19 mm and 114 grams, making it a genuine pocket camera. Despite this modest size, Sony snares users with a surprisingly capable 5x zoom lens covering 25-125mm equivalent focal length, perfect for casual zoom range needs.

Ergonomically, the NX200 offers dedicated physical controls such as a mode dial and shutter priority options, while the WX70 relies more heavily on touchscreen input with fewer direct controls - the nature of its compact design.

If you prize handling and feel, especially for more serious shooting with manual adjustments, the Samsung’s layout and size will suit you better. For carry-anywhere convenience, the Sony excels.

This top-down view underlines that the NX200, with illuminated buttons and tactile dials, is built for deliberate control. The WX70’s minimalistic approach prioritizes speed and portability over granular setting changes.

Sensors and Image Quality: APS-C vs. 1/2.3-inch Tech

Sensor technology drives image quality, and here we confront one of the biggest divides between these cameras.

The Samsung NX200 sports a 20-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor (23.5x15.7 mm, no phase detection) - a relatively large sensor for cameras from 2012 at this price point. Oppositely, the Sony WX70 relies on a smaller 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor (6.17x4.55 mm) with 16 megapixels, typical for compacts, but with Sony’s BSI tech providing better low light response relative to older CCDs.

From sensor size alone, the NX200 has a massive 369 mm² sensor area, compared to just 28 mm² for the WX70 - a difference that translates to superior image quality potential.

In practice, the NX200 yields deep color depth (22.6 bits), wide dynamic range approaching 12.6 stops, and excellent low-light performance, usable up to ISO 618 according to DxOmark. The Sony WX70’s sensor, while decent for its class, simply cannot match these metrics - low-light noise and dynamic range suffer correspondingly.

Resolution-wise, the NX200 native output hits a massive 5472x3648 pixels, delivering ample detail for large prints and cropping. The WX70 maxes at 4608x3456, respectable but limited by sensor size constraints.

In my extensive tests, the NX200 images display cleaner shadows and richer highlight retention in challenging landscape or indoor lighting than the WX70, which tends to crush blacks and wash out subtle tones in overexposure.

LCD and User Interface: How Do You See What You Shoot?

Viewing your framing and playback experience is critical in-the-moment. The NX200 sports a 3.0-inch fixed Active Matrix OLED screen, rated at 614K dots, offering vibrant colors and deep contrast. OLED technology delivers higher dynamic richness than standard LCDs and works better outdoors.

The WX70 has a slightly higher resolution 3.0-inch XtraFine TFT LCD touchscreen with 922K dots, giving crisp details and a responsive touch interface. This empowers quick menu navigation, pinch-to-zoom, and easy point-and-shoot usability.

Despite the WX70’s touchscreen being a definite plus for beginners, serious photographers may find the NX200’s physical controls paired with OLED display more satisfying for framing and manual adjustments - the latter being especially crucial in bright sun where touchscreens can struggle.

Autofocus and Shooting Performance: Tracking, Speed, and Precision

One core strength of the NX200 is its contrast-detection autofocus system with 15 focus points, including face detection. Sony’s WX70 also utilizes contrast detection but includes touch autofocus and face detection as well.

Samsung’s NX200 provides continuous autofocus and 7 frames per second burst shooting rate, a solid speed for entry-level mirrorless at that time.

Sony’s WX70, despite smaller sensor size, pushes 10 fps continuous burst but this comes with a lower buffer depth, and focus is single AF only, no continuous AF while shooting burst sequences.

In wildlife or sports scenarios requiring rapid focus shifts and tracking, the NX200’s autofocus is more dependable, though a risk of hunting in low contrast or dim conditions remains due to contrast detection limitations.

Sony’s compact setup may feel sluggish in fast-paced environments but excels in calm street environments where decisive tracking is less critical.

Lens Ecosystem and Expandability: One Lens Fits All or Kit Flexibility?

Samsung’s NX mount offers an ecosystem of 32 lenses ranging from wide angles to telephotos and macro options. This includes fast primes with apertures like f/1.4 and versatile zooms, affording serious photographers creative freedom for portraits, landscape, or macro work.

The Sony WX70, being a point-and-shoot, comes with a fixed 25-125mm equivalent lens, f/2.6-6.3 aperture range, no option for upgrades. This constrains the flexibility but serves casual shooters well.

For portraits, the Samsung system allows beautiful background blur (bokeh) with wide-aperture lenses, but the WX70’s compact zoom lens limits shallow depth-of-field effects, making subject isolation challenging.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance: Ready for Adventure?

Neither camera offers weather sealing or ruggedized protection, which is typical for their segments from that period.

The NX200’s slightly larger body feels more solid, with a metal-top plate enhancing durability, whereas the WX70 uses plastic extensively to keep weight down.

If you plan to photograph outdoors often, some care and caution are needed with both to avoid dust, moisture, or shocks.

Battery Life and Storage: Keeping Up on Long Days

Samsung’s NX200 uses the BC1030 battery with an official rating of about 330 shots per charge. In my field testing, this matches experience for a typical mix of shooting modes.

The Sony WX70, using NP-BN battery, manages around 240 shots per charge.

Neither is a marathon runner, but the NX200’s extra juice is notable for longer days out. Both accept SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, but Sony also supports Memory Stick formats - a minor plus for legacy users.

Video Capabilities: Which Camera Handles Motion Better?

For the era, both cameras offer surprising HD options.

Samsung NX200 records 1080p at 30fps and 720p at 60fps in MPEG-4 and H.264 codecs but lacks microphone input, limiting audio control.

Sony WX70 ups the ante with Full HD 1080p at 60fps and supports AVCHD format, favored for better compression quality. However, the fixed lens and limited manual controls hamper creative video use.

Neither camera offers 4K or advanced stabilization options beyond Sony’s optical image stabilization for stills.

Real-World Testing Across Photography Genres

Having laid out specs and technical details, let’s translate those into practical implications for various photography forms.

Portrait Photography

Samsung’s NX200 flexes its APS-C sensor muscles here. The ability to achieve shallow depth-of-field with compatible lenses, alongside decent face detection AF, ensures pleasing skin tones and eye focus. The bokeh produced by wide aperture lenses also gives images ‘pop’ - eliminating distracting backgrounds elegantly.

Sony WX70’s small sensor means deeper depth-of-field even at telephoto end, limiting subject isolation. Face detection helps for casual portraits, but expect flat backgrounds and less rendition detail.

Landscape Photography

Here, the NX200’s wider dynamic range and higher resolution shine. Landscapes demanding rich shadow recovery and highlight retention come through vividly. With a proper wide lens, it’s a competent landscape tool.

The WX70’s small sensor struggles to capture wide tonal ranges without clipping or noise. The fixed zoom lens limits wide-angle options needed to capture sweeping vistas.

Wildlife Photography

Wildlife demands quick autofocus and reach. While the NX200’s autofocus is no speed demon, its support of telephoto lenses (even 300mm+) allows approaching subjects from distance. Burst speed at 7 fps is satisfactory.

Sony’s WX70 offers a 5x optical zoom (125mm equiv), insufficient for most wildlife subjects, and autofocus is too limited for fast-moving animals.

Sports Photography

Fast, responsive autofocus with tracking is king in sports. The NX200 provides the necessary manual exposure modes and burst shooting to keep pace with moderate action. The WX70 is unsuitable beyond casual snapshots.

Street Photography

The WX70’s pocketability and quiet operation make it ideal for street shooters valuing discretion and speed. The touchscreen interface favors quick point-and-shoot scenarios.

The NX200 is larger but still portable, and its manual options invite exploring exposure creativity in street scenes.

Macro Photography

Samsung users can tap into macro-compatible NX lenses with focusing precision absent on Sony’s fixed lens.

Night and Astro Photography

The NX200’s wider sensor, superior noise control, and manual modes give it a clear edge under low-light or night sky conditions.

Image Galleries and Sample Outputs

Samsung NX200 screen back Sony WX70 front Sony WX70 screen back

Here, side-by-side samples reveal the NX200’s greater detail, less noise, and more natural color rendition. Skin tones on the Samsung look more lifelike and smooth; shadow details in landscapes retain depth without murkiness.

Ratings Summary: Performance Scores Unveiled

Breaking down the overall and genre-specific performance:

The NX200 scores notably higher overall, driven by its larger sensor, better color fidelity, and broader feature set. The WX70 fares as a competent compact but falls short beyond casual use.

Not surprisingly, Nikon NX200 leads markedly in portraits, landscapes, and low-light shooting; WX70 shows strengths in portability and street or travel scenarios.

Connectivity and Workflow Integration

Neither camera offers wireless or Bluetooth connectivity, typical limits for 2012 models. The NX200 does feature HDMI output and USB 2.0 for tethered shooting or file transfers. The absence of Wi-Fi restricts instant image sharing.

For professionals, the NX200 supports RAW image capture facilitating post-processing flexibility, whereas the WX70 does not offer RAW - limiting editing latitude.

Summing Up: Who Should Buy Which?

With all this data laid bare, let's clear the air:

• Samsung NX200 - A great entry-level mirrorless that punches well above its age in image quality and versatility. It suits photography enthusiasts transitioning from compacts to interchangeable lenses, or casual pros needing APS-C performance on a budget. Portrait, landscape, and creative shooting benefit from its flexible system.

• Sony WX70 - A compact ready to slip in any pocket, serving casual shooters who want an all-in-one, no-fuss camera. Perfect for travel or street photographers prioritizing lightweight carry and simplicity over ultimate image quality or advanced controls.

Final Thoughts

In an era brimming with innovation, these cameras represent two distinct evolutionary threads. The NX200 is a solid proof that Samsung took mirrorless seriously early on, bringing interchangeable flexibility with quality images.

The WX70 embodies the “point-and-shoot” spirit, proving small sensor compacts still had a place alongside burgeoning smartphones.

Checking off needs remains critical: if you want image quality, manual control, and growth potential, the NX200 is the clear choice. But for grab-and-go ease and budget-conscious users prioritizing size, Sony’s WX70 will serve faithfully.

These aren’t just cameras from a decade ago - they offer lessons in photographic priorities and choices that resonate even today.

If you're ready to step into interchangeable lens territory but on a moderate budget, the Samsung NX200 packs a great punch. For a simple, everyday snapshot companion, the Sony WX70 remains a trustworthy pocket ally.

Happy shooting!