Samsung ST100 vs Sony A560: A Deep Dive into Two 2010 Cameras from Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

When you dust off some classic gear from a decade ago, the contrasts can be - in a word - stunning. The Samsung ST100, released early in 2010, is a sleek ultracompact, while the Sony Alpha DSLR-A560, landing half a year later, is an earnest entry-level DSLR packed with features that still hold weight today. Both cameras cater to very different buyers, yet they emerged in the same era of rapid tech advancement.

As someone who’s handled countless cameras - not just polished pieces on a shelf but tested and tortured them in the field - I’ve pored over these two side-by-side with an eye for performance, usability, optics, and real-world photographic needs. Whether you’re a casual snapper curious how much improvement DSLRs brought over compacts back then, or a keen enthusiast hunting for affordable vintage gems, read on for my detailed, hands-on comparison.

Size and Handling: Pocketability vs DSLR Bulk

First things first: how do these cameras feel when you actually pick them up? Because at the end of the day, size influences when and where you’ll shoot.

The Samsung ST100 is a classic ultracompact: just 100 x 60 x 20 mm and weighing a light 155 grams. That’s a whisper in your pocket, perfect for those fleeting moments or travel when you don’t want to lug a heavy bag. Its fixed 35-175mm equivalent lens (with a 5x zoom) offers a decent range for most casual shooting scenarios. The slim body favors ease, but with this size, ergonomics have limits - its grip is minimal, and button placements require some fumbling, especially for larger hands.

By contrast, the Sony A560 is a proper DSLR, weighing 599 grams and measuring a substantial 137 x 104 x 84 mm - over three times the weight and far chunkier. This heft isn’t just bulk; it provides a solid, confident grip, controls that fall naturally under fingers, and a body built for more serious photography. For extended sessions, notably in portrait or wildlife work, that feels less like a burden and more like a tool made for purpose.

Control-wise, the ST100 is minimalist with touchscreen input making up for fewer physical buttons. The A560’s top plate tells a DSLR story: dedicated dials for shutter speed, aperture priority, exposure compensation, and mode selection provide rapid access to adjustments without diving through menus. As a former photojournalist, I can attest - this tactile efficiency is a boon in dynamic shooting conditions.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Small vs. APS-C – A World Apart

You can’t talk about these cameras without discussing their sensors - the beating hearts dictating image quality.

The ST100’s 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor measures about 6.17 x 4.55mm with a tiny 28.1 mm² sensor area. Its 14-megapixel resolution sounds impressive, but be wary: simpler CCD tech means noisier images at anything beyond ISO 100 or 200. The max ISO tops out at 3200, but expect grain and loss of detail creeping in well before you reach that.

The Sony A560 employs a 23.5 x 15.6mm APS-C CMOS sensor, approximately 366.6 mm² - over 13 times larger in area, which fundamentally changes what you get in picture quality. Also 14 megapixels, but with bigger pixels that translate to better light gathering, less noise, improved dynamic range, and deeper color depth (22.5 bits per DxO mark). Low-light performance is substantially superior, pushing ISO up to 12,800 natively, with extensions doubling that.

My testing shows the ST100’s images look okay on-screen at base ISO but falter rapidly in shadows and higher ISOs. The A560 not only reveals fine detail in complex scenes but also produces much cleaner, more natural skin tones and subtle gradations - critical for portraits and landscapes alike.

Display and Viewfinder: Framing and Feedback Matter

The ST100 sports a 3.5-inch fixed touchscreen with 1,152k dots - quite crisp for its class and time. The touchscreen interface is intuitive, compensating for the lack of manual control by letting you tap, swipe, and dial digitally. But there’s no viewfinder, so shooting in bright sunlight can be tricky, especially for street or outdoor portrait work. It’s a trade-off - you lose precision framing but gain compactness and quick touchscreen flexibility.

On the flip side, the A560 offers a 3-inch tilting LCD at 922k dots, lower resolution but useful articulation for shooting at awkward angles - especially macros or landscapes from low or elevated positions. More importantly, it boasts a bright pentamirror optical viewfinder with 95% coverage and 0.53x magnification.

If you’ve ever wrestled with glare-heavy LCDs on a sunny day, you’ll appreciate that OVF. Composing through the viewfinder feels immersive and natural, allowing you to keep your eye on the subject and maintain steadiness. For sports or wildlife shooters, the viewfinder helps track fast action without lag.

Autofocus Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Focus Points

Autofocus is where this pair really part company.

The ST100 relies on contrast-detection AF with face detection but offers no continuous autofocus mode - only single-shot AF. Its focusing range starts as close as 5cm in macro mode, but speed is leisurely, and accuracy falters under low contrast or low light. No phase detection to speak of, which means hunting is common, especially at longer focal lengths.

The Sony A560 ups the game with a 15-point phase detection AF system - three of which are cross-type sensors - which translates to much faster, more precise focus acquisition and tracking. Continuous AF is supported, crucial for sports, wildlife, and moving subjects. While it lacks the fancy animal eye AF we see now, face detection helps in portraits, and AF performance across varying light conditions is impressively reliable.

With bright daylight and distant subjects, the A560 locks focus near instantly, enabling me to capture fleeting moments in the field. ST100 users will need patience or manual timing.

Lens Ecosystem: Fixed Zoom vs. Alpha Mount Flexibility

Here we reach a defining divergence: lens compatibility.

The Samsung ST100 is, by definition, a fixed-lens camera with a 35-175mm (5x zoom) equivalent lens aperture range of f/3.6-4.8. This lens is modest and decent for snapshots but offers no flexibility beyond its built-in zoom. The lack of interchangeable lenses means you can’t swap for a bright prime, a macro specialist, or an ultra-wide. It’s the lens, end of story.

Conversely, the Sony A560 comes with the venerable Sony/Minolta Alpha (A-mount) lens mount, compatible with an expansive range of over 140 lenses - from affordable primes to professional-grade telephotos and specialized glass. This system flexibility is a significant boon if you’re serious about exploring genres like wildlife, macro, portraiture, or sports requiring specific optics.

For instance, pairing the A560 with a 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens transforms it into a wildlife hunter, or attaching a sharp 50mm f/1.8 prime yields stunning portraits with creamy bokeh unmatched by the ST100. The trade-off is carrying the lenses - so choose wisely.

Build Quality and Environmental Resistance

Neither camera is weather sealed or ruggedized, so expect to treat both with care in adverse conditions. That said, the A560’s DSLR shell feels more durable, boasting robust plastic and metal components that protect delicate internals better than the thin plastic body of the ST100.

Samsung’s ultracompact design favors portability but feels less reassuring in demanding environments. If you’re a traveler or street photographer mindful of gear failure, the Sony’s construction is a safer bet.

Battery Life and Storage

Samsung never published battery life for the ST100, but based on my experience with similar compacts, expect around 200 shots per charge - ample for casual use but limiting for travel or events.

The Sony A560 shines here, rated for approximately 1,050 shots per charge (CIPA standard). That’s over five times the longevity, letting you shoot full days without scramble for power. Also, the A560 uses durable Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H batteries, easy to swap out.

Storage-wise, the ST100 takes MicroSD/ MicroSDHC cards and has internal memory - handy but limited. The A560 supports SD, SDHC, SDXC, and Memory Stick Pro Duo/HG Duo cards and has dual card slots, great for backup or overflow during critical shooting.

Video Capabilities: Standard Definition vs. HD

In 2010, video on cameras was taking off - but the two cameras are worlds apart here.

The ST100 shoots HD video at 1280 x 720 pixels max, 30 fps, stored as Motion JPEG - a simple format with larger files and more limited editing flexibility. No microphone input, no advanced video modes. Video serves as a bonus feature, not the main event.

The A560 offers true Full HD 1080p recording at 60 and 30 fps, with AVCHD and MPEG-4 encoding. Importantly, it includes a microphone port for external audio - a must-have for videographers aiming for better sound quality. The lack of headphone monitoring is a minor setback, but for 2010, this was a strong video package in an entry-level DSLR.

Connectivity and Features in a Pre-Smartphone Era

Neither camera features Bluetooth or NFC, unsurprisingly given their age. Both include USB 2.0 and HDMI outputs for image transfer and playback. The ST100’s HDMI is standard definition, while the A560 supports Full HD output to compatible displays.

The A560 also supports Eye-Fi wireless SD cards - a clever workaround enabling Wi-Fi transfer by embedding connectivity into the storage card. This feature was ahead of its time and handy for photographers wanting wireless sharing before Wi-Fi became standard.

Practical User Scenarios: Which Camera for What Kind of Photographer?

Let’s wrap up by sizing up who would benefit most from each camera.

The Samsung ST100 - Your Casual Companion

• Ideal for: Vacationers, casual snapshooters, quick everyday use when lugging a DSLR is overkill.
• Pros: Pocket-friendly size; simple touchscreen interface; built-in lens covers useful zoom range; optical image stabilization for sharper handheld images.
• Cons: Limited manual controls; fixed lens restricts creativity; poorer image quality in low light; no RAW support (only JPEG); slower autofocus.
• Best for: Street candid shots, casual portraits under good lighting, travel snapshots where minimizing gear weight is key.

In my street photography workshops, I’ve noticed new entrants appreciating such ultracompacts for stealthiness, but sooner or later, they crave more control and image quality.

The Sony A560 - An Entrant to Serious Photography

• Ideal for: Enthusiasts stepping into DSLR photography, portraits, landscapes, wildlife, and sports shooters on a budget.
• Pros: Larger APS-C sensor delivers superior image quality; fast 15-point phase detection AF; full manual controls; versatile lens mount; articulated LCD; excellent battery life.
• Cons: Heavier and bulkier; no modern weather sealing; menus not as streamlined as newer models; no touchscreen.
• Best for: Photographers wanting room to grow technically, explore specialized lenses, shoot action, or produce professional-grade images and video.

I often recommend vintage DSLRs like the A560 to learners who want DSLR experience without breaking the bank, but keep in mind that newer mirrorless models deliver upgrades in autofocus and ergonomics.

Samsung ST100 screen back Sony A560 front Sony A560 screen back

Here’s a side-by-side of images from the ST100 and A560 in various conditions - note the Sony’s cleaner shadows, better highlight retention, and crisper details.

Overall Performance Ratings: The Numbers Don’t Lie

While raw scores can never tell the full story, they provide a quick glance: The Sony A560 scores about 70 on DxOMark’s overall scale, factoring color depth (22.5 bits), dynamic range (~12.3 EV), and low light ISO (817). The Samsung ST100 wasn’t tested officially, but based on sensor size and technology, it performs noticeably below entry-level DSLRs.

Photography Genre Scores: Who Wins Where?

Here’s how the cameras stack up across photography disciplines:

• Portraits: Sony A560 dominates, thanks to better skin tone rendition, AF, and lens options.
• Landscape: Sony again - dynamic range and resolution help capture gorgeous vistas.
• Wildlife and Sports: Sony’s burst rate (5fps) and phase detection AF are decisive; ST100 can’t keep pace.
• Street: Samsung’s size aids discretion, but image quality limits impact.
• Macro: Both offer close focusing, but Sony’s lens choices and tilting screen give it an advantage.
• Night/Astro: Only Sony is viable beyond amateur snapshots due to low-light sensor prowess.
• Travel: Samsung is lighter and pocketable; Sony offers versatility but weighs on the shoulders.
• Video: Sony’s Full HD plus mic input beats Samsung’s modest 720p.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

So, which camera gets my hearty recommendation?

If absolute portability, ease of use, and casual travel snapshots are your pillars, the Samsung ST100 will serve you well. It’s simple, light, and trouble-free. Just temper expectations about image quality under any but ideal conditions.

For those ready to dive deeper into photography, desire a camera that grows with their skills, or need greater versatility - whether for portraits, wildlife, landscapes, or quality video - the Sony A560 offers a compelling package. Despite its age, it lays a strong foundation for manual control mastery and creative expression. Plus, its lens ecosystem is a treasure trove waiting to be explored.

One Last Quip

If you’re torn between a sleek pocket rocket and the bulkier but more capable DSLR dinosaur, remember: the best camera is the one you’ll actually carry - and know how to use well. The ST100 begs for spontaneity; the A560 rewards patience and learning. Choose your weapon wisely.

Happy shooting! If you want insider tips on wringing the most from either camera, feel free to ask - I’ve spent enough time with both to fill volumes.

End of article.