Samsung NX300 vs Sony A57

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Samsung NX300 and Sony A57, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Samsung and Sony. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the NX300 (20MP) and A57 (16MP) but they use the exact same sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The NX300 was unveiled 15 months later than the A57 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Samsung NX300 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a in depth comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the NX300 scores vs the A57 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Samsung NX300 and Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are available at Samsung NX300 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Samsung NX300 comes with physical dimensions of 122mm x 64mm x 41mm (4.8" x 2.5" x 1.6") with a weight of 331 grams (0.73 lbs) while the Sony A57 has measurements of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Examine the Samsung NX300 and Sony A57 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the NX300 against the A57.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the NX300 and A57 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements merely by looking through specifications. The graphic below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the NX300 and A57.

Plainly, both the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You should expect the Samsung NX300 to render greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern NX300 provides a benefit in sensor tech.