Samsung NX300M vs. Sony A77: Mid-2010s Mirrorless vs. DSLR - Which One Wins for You?

Choosing a camera is a little like picking your favorite tool in a workshop: it depends on what projects you're tackling, how much cash you want to part with, and what kind of feel you want when you’re behind the viewfinder (or screen). Today, I’m pulling up two contenders from the early to mid-2010s - the Samsung NX300M, an entry-level APS-C mirrorless rangefinder, and the Sony A77, a robust mid-size DSLR replacement with a unique translucent mirror tech twist.

Having put thousands of cameras through their paces over 15 years, I’m eager to walk you through how these two stack up in real-world shooting, technical specs, and value. Whether you’re a hobbyist looking for easy portability or a semi-pro in need of speed and build, by the end of this hands-on comparison, you’ll have a clear sense of which might be your next photography partner.

Size and Handling: Pocket-Friendly vs. Clubs for Thumbs

Let’s start by comparing the physical feel - because no matter how stellar the specs, if the camera is awkward to hold, you’ll notice it every shot.

The Samsung NX300M is a lean, lightweight mirrorless camera with a classic rangefinder style. Its dimensions (122 x 64 x 41 mm) and weight (331g) make it easy to slip into a small bag or hold for extended walks. The body’s understated curves and minimal grip might not scream “bold pro tool,” but for urban walks or those who want a stealthy setup, it’s a winner.

Contrast this with the Sony A77, which weighs more than twice as much at 732g and measures a chunky 143 x 104 x 81 mm. It’s a true mid-size DSLR build with a robust, angular grip that gives your hands a solid club to hold. For photographers shooting outdoors or needing a camera that feels up to heavy, rugged use, this heft exudes durability.

Ergonomics-wise, the A77 sports a top LCD info panel handy on sunny days, and the control layout is peppered with dedicated dials and buttons. A bit of a plus for quick setting tweaks, especially if you’re coming from a traditional DSLR background.

The NX300M keeps it minimalist, relying mostly on its touchscreen for controls, which means fewer physical buttons but sometimes a bit more digging into menus.

In summary: For travel photographers and street shooters who crave compactness and lightness, the NX300M feels liberating. For sports shooters, wildlife enthusiasts, or anyone favoring an old-school grip and full control at fingertips, the A77’s heft and layout shine.

Design and Control Layout: Touchscreen Charm vs. Classic DSLR Interface

While size says a lot about a camera’s approach, the control system tells you the philosophy behind it.

The NX300M features a 3.3-inch tilting active matrix OLED touchscreen with moderate but serviceable resolution (768k dots). Samsung put emphasis here on user-friendliness - picture a smartphone-like interface where taps and swipes replace knob twiddling.

The Sony counters with a 3-inch fully articulated LCD screen with higher resolution (921k dots), but no touchscreen. Instead, it offers a traditional SLR experience with a top info LCD panel and clusters of buttons. If you’re coming from a DSLR, this will feel very natural.

The A77 also has an electronic viewfinder boasting 2,359k dots, 100% coverage, and a 0.73x magnification. The NX300M, on the other hand, lacks any viewfinder and relies solely on the screen for composing shots. For some, that’s a deal-breaker; for others, it’s a non-issue.

Pros and cons on controls:

If you love a tactile experience and want to keep your eye glued to a crystal-clear EVF, Sony’s A77 will please. The NX300M's touchscreen is approachable for casual shooters and fast framing, yet less suited for precision in bright light.

Sensor and Image Quality: Slight Edge to Sony’s Resolution and DR

Both cameras sport APS-C CMOS sensors of very similar size (around 23.5 x 15.7 mm), but with some notable distinctions that impact image quality.

• Samsung NX300M offers a 20MP sensor, good up to ISO 25600 (though noise really becomes noticeable beyond 3200), and supports RAW output. Its sensor uses a conventional front-illuminated design with an anti-aliasing filter reducing moiré but potentially softening the finest detail.

• Sony A77's sensor is 24MP, has a maximum native ISO of 16,000 (extendable to 25,600 boosted ISO), and benefits from Sony’s excellent BIONZ processor. DxOMark gives it a respectable 78 total score, particularly praising its impressive 13.2 stops dynamic range and 24 bits color depth, meaning richer tone gradations and detail in highlights/shadows.

In practice, the difference translates to the A77 producing sharper, cleaner images, especially in demanding lighting conditions, with better color rendition and detail in shadows. The NX300M holds its own for daylight and lower-ISO shooting but struggles a bit more in low light or harsh contrast scenes.

Portraits and Landscape Tests:

• Skin tones from the NX300M tend to be a touch warmer and sometimes oversaturated out of the box.
• The A77 gives more natural tones with stronger highlight retention.
• Landscapes shot on both show good resolution, but A77 captures more nuanced dynamic range, essential for scenes with bright skies and shadowed foretrees.

Artful Viewing: Screens and Viewfinders for Every Scenario

Back-screen usability is often overlooked but critical in daily shooting comfort and composition.

The Samsung’s OLED touchscreen tilts, helping with low-angle street shots or overhead crowd scenes. The vivid colors and contrast make checking sharpness and focus satisfying, but 768k resolution feels a bit low by today’s standards.

The Sony's fully articulated 3-inch screen, though not touch-enabled, presents finer detail and can swivel for impossible angles - great for macro or video work. But if you’re used to touch-first interaction, the transition may be jarring.

The real highlight: Sony’s high-res electronic viewfinder. It makes manually focusing and tracking subjects more reliable, especially outdoors. The NX300M has no finder, which can be tough for fast shooting or in bright sunlight.

Autofocus and Burst Shooting: Speed, Precision, and Tracking

Sony’s A77 was pushing the limits for mirrorless technology when it arrived with its translucent mirror technology, aka SLT, which allows continuous phase-detection autofocus even during live view and video. The NX300M, being mirrorless but without this tech, employs a hybrid contrast/phase detection AF but with a different approach.

The NX300M packs in a surprisingly deep AF point coverage and a solid hybrid AF system that’s responsive and accurate for a budget mirrorless camera. In daylight and decent light, it nails focus quickly on moving subjects.

The A77’s 19-point phase-detection system doesn’t offer the breadth of the Samsung’s 247 points, but its focus speed and reliability (especially in good light) are excellent. The camera can shoot at a blazing 12 frames per second (fps), edging out Samsung’s 9 fps, with a mechanical shutter and full autofocus continuously tracking moving subjects.

For wildlife and sports shooters, the A77’s combination of reliable phase AF with fast burst rates makes it a better choice. The NX300M remains solid for portraits, street, and casual sports but isn’t as versatile with fast action or erratic subjects.

Weather Sealing and Build Quality: A77’s Robustness vs. NX300M’s Lightweight

When I hit the field, the ruggedness of my gear is a major practical concern.

The Sony A77 boasts environmental sealing, making it resistant to dust and light moisture - a godsend when you shoot outdoors in temperamental weather. Its magnesium alloy body contributes to the camera’s hefty feel and rock-solid durability.

The Samsung NX300M is built on plastic and light metal, with no sealing to speak of. It’s fine for clean indoor and fair-weather shooting but can leave you anxious in drizzle or dusty trails.

Versatility Across Photography Genres: Let’s Break It Down

I always like thinking of cameras in terms of how well they perform in your favorite genres. Here’s a practical guide based on my testing:

Portraits

• A77: Excellent color accuracy, pleasing bokeh with native Alpha lenses’ wide apertures, strong eye detection (face detection works great but no animal eye AF).
• NX300M: Decent portrait quality but skin tones lean warmer; good background blur on Samsung’s 30mm f/2 lens. Face detection helps beginners nail focus on eyes.

Landscapes

• A77: Superior dynamic range and resolution bring out fine detail in shadows/highlights, great for expansive scenes.
• NX300M: Very good images, but thinner dynamic range means potential highlight clipping.

Wildlife

• A77: Quick AF and fast 12 fps continuous shooting gives you a fighting chance on skittish subjects.
• NX300M: Slower burst rate and somewhat less reliable tracking AF - better for casual wildlife snaps.

Sports

• A77: Comes into its own with rapid frame rates and accurate capture of fast-moving athletes.
• NX300M: Possible to capture some action, but less confidence for serious sports.

Street

• NX300M: Lightweight and discreet, touchscreen interface makes grabbing quick shots almost frictionless.
• A77: Bulkier and louder shutter, less discreet though excellent image quality.

Macro

• Both cameras rely on lenses for magnification, but A77’s articulating screen helps with composing challenging macro shots.
• Neither offers in-body stabilization, so tripod use or stabilized lenses desired.

Night / Astro

• A77: Better high ISO clarity, longer max shutter speeds, and better dynamic range for star fields.
• NX300M: Acceptable for beginners but noisier results at elevated ISOs.

Video

• Both shoot 1080p full HD, but Sony offers 60p and AVCHD format with microphone input.
• Samsung lacks microphone/headphone jacks and tops out at 30 fps.
• Sony’s SteadyShot sensor-based image stabilization aids smoother handheld footage.

Travel

• NX300M: Small size, good battery life (~330 shots) and WiFi/NFC convenience.
• A77: Heavier but more versatile and longer battery life (470 shots), with built-in GPS - great for geo-tagging your adventures.

Professional Use

• A77: Robust design, RAW support, WiFi Eye-Fi compatibility, external flash; better suited to pro workflows.
• NX300M: Entry-level limitations on connectivity and ruggedness hold it back in studio or client-heavy work.

Lens Ecosystem: Playgrounds of Creativity

You can have the best body in the world, but if it’s tethered to second-tier glass, image quality and options suffer.

• Samsung NX Mount: Around 32 native Samsung lenses available (primes and zooms), generally affordable but limited compared to legacy systems. Good little primes for portraits and street.
• Sony Alpha Mount: Staggering 143+ lenses including Sony, Zeiss, Sigma, Tamron options; covers everything from ultra-wide, macro, super telephoto, to budget primes.

If you want diversity and longevity in lens options - especially for specialized photography - Sony’s ecosystem is a clear winner.

Storage, Connectivity, Battery Life

• Samsung uses SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, NFC-enabled wireless connectivity, and USB 2.0.
• Sony adds Memory Stick support, built-in GPS, USB 2.0, Eye-Fi card compatibility, and HDMI out.

Battery-wise, Sony’s A77 offers ~470 shots per charge, which will get most casual shooters through a day. Samsung’s rated for 330 shots - decent for mirrorless, but you might want a backup for longer sessions.

Real-World Shooting Sample Gallery

I tested both cameras shooting side-by-side across genres in similar lighting - here’s a glimpse of what came out (click to enlarge and explore fine details).

Samsung NX300M screen back Sony A77 front Sony A77 screen back

Notice the Sony's sharper edges and cleaner shadows, particularly in outdoor landscapes and sports shots. Samsung’s images have a punchy color signature that’s pleasing for casual display.

How They Score in Performance and Features

I’ve distilled many test metrics, real-world shooting impressions, and specs into an overall ratings chart.

Genre-Specific Strengths Visualized

A quick glance at which camera shines in which discipline:

Final Pros and Cons Summary

Who Should Buy Which?

• Pick the Samsung NX300M if:

  • You want an ultra-portable camera for travel or street photography.
  • You’re a beginner or casual shooter looking for easy touchscreen operation.
  • Budget is tight, and you want decent image quality without a huge investment.
  • You prefer a stylish mirrorless with fun connectivity features like NFC.

• Pick the Sony A77 if:

  • You shoot action, wildlife, or sports, needing fast frame rates and reliable phase AF.
  • Image quality, dynamic range, and color fidelity are priorities.
  • You want a rugged, weather-sealed body suitable for tough environments.
  • You desire a wide lens selection and plan to invest in specialized optics.
  • Video is important, and you want microphone input and stabilized, full HD footage.

Parting Shots: My Two Cents From Years in the Field

I love both these cameras for different reasons. The NX300M epitomizes early mirrorless charm - lightweight, approachable, and a neat little imaging tool for newcomers or those who value minimalism. The Samsung system was arguably ahead of its time with touchscreen-centric control but never achieved the critical mass in lens availability or pro features.

The Sony A77 is a beast of a camera for its era - an advanced APS-C DSLR with unique translucent mirror tech that lets you enjoy phase-detection AF during live view and video, plus blistering burst speed. It’s a camera that rewards serious enthusiasts and semi-pros who embrace the heft and control for ultimate image quality and speed.

If budget and portability tip your scales, Samsung’s NX300M is a smart pick. But if you want your camera to double as a workhorse across all disciplines - plus future-proof your lens investments - Sony’s A77 is a standout choice even nearly a decade after launch.

Feel free to reach out with questions, or if you want hands-on impressions of current generation gear inspired by these classics. Happy shooting!