Samsung ST30 vs Sony RX100 III

Its time to take a closer look at the Samsung ST30 versus Sony RX100 III, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Samsung and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the ST30 (10MP) and RX100 III (20MP) and the ST30 (1/3") and RX100 III (1") use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ST30 was launched 4 years prior to the RX100 III and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Samsung ST30 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple summary of how the ST30 matches up versus the RX100 III in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Samsung ST30 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. The complete galleries are available at Samsung ST30 Gallery and Sony RX100 III Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Samsung ST30 features exterior dimensions of 82mm x 52mm x 17mm (3.2" x 2.0" x 0.7") and a weight of 87 grams (0.19 lbs) while the Sony RX100 III has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

Contrast the Samsung ST30 versus Sony RX100 III in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the ST30 and the RX100 III.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ST30 and RX100 III is 98 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor measurements purely by viewing specifications. The photograph here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the ST30 and RX100 III.

To sum up, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ST30 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh harder and the Sony RX100 III will provide you with greater detail utilizing its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older ST30 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.