Samsung TL350 vs Sony T110

Samsung TL350 vs Sony Cyber-shot T110: Compact Cameras Put Head-to-Head

When you’re considering a compact camera, the balance between portability, image quality, controls, and features is paramount. Today, I’ll take you through a detailed head-to-head comparison between two compact models from the early 2010s: the Samsung TL350 (also known as the WB2000) and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T110. Despite their shared category of small sensor compacts, they diverge significantly in many ways. After putting both through various tests and scenarios, I’m confident this comparison will clarify which camera suits your style, skill level, and budget.

Let’s start with the physical characteristics and user experience before diving into image quality, autofocus, shooting performance, and beyond.

Pocketability and Handling: Size, Weight, and Ergonomics Matter

In real-world shooting, how a camera feels in your hands influences whether you actually enjoy using it or end up lugging the DSLR instead. The Samsung TL350 is a compact with a slightly more substantial body, weighing in at 195 grams and measuring 100 x 59 x 22 mm, while the Sony T110 is an ultra-compact at just 121 grams and smaller dimensions of 93 x 56 x 17 mm.

You can see here the Samsung’s heft translates to a grippier feel, which is great for longer sessions or more deliberate shooting styles. The TL350 has a pronounced thumb rest and ridged grip texture, which helps stabilize your grip. In contrast, the Sony’s clean, minimalist slab resembles a sleek smartphone - easy to slip into a pocket and forget about, but less comfortable for extended handheld use. If you value pocketability above all, Sony scoops the prize here. But for those who want some solid tactile feedback, the TL350’s bulk offers a little more confidence.

Looking at control layouts from the top view, the TL350 sports traditional dials and buttons that include manual exposure modes - a welcome feature for enthusiasts. The Sony opts for a more pared-back design with a touchscreen interface but fewer physical controls.

Personally, I found the Samsung’s tactile buttons satisfy my need for quick manual tweaks without digging through menus. The Sony’s touchscreen offers a modern interface but takes a learning curve and some patience if you prefer physical buttons, especially in low-light or glove conditions.

Sensor Size and Image Quality: Small Sensors, Big Differences

Both cameras use a 1/2.3" sensor size, which is typical in compact cameras and limits ultimate image quality compared to larger-sensor alternatives. However, sensor type, resolution, and processing can still make a tangible difference.

The Samsung TL350 uses a 10MP CMOS sensor, while the Sony T110 features a 16MP CCD sensor, both measuring around 6x4.5mm in sensor area.

From my lab measurements and real-world comparisons, the Sony’s higher resolution translates into sharper images under good lighting. But CMOS sensors generally handle noise better, and Samsung’s TL350 has the edge in higher ISO performance and dynamic range due to its sensor and processing pipeline.

In landscape and travel scenarios, I noticed the TL350’s images retained more highlight and shadow detail, crucial when shooting complex scenes with bright skies and deep shadows. Meanwhile, the Sony’s images showed more noise from ISO 800 upwards and slightly less vibrant color reproduction.

For portraits, both cameras can capture decent skin tones given the sensor constraints, but the TL350’s lens with a wider F2.4 aperture at the wide end delivers softer backgrounds and more natural bokeh than the Sony’s F3.5 aperture - important for isolating subjects nicely. The Sony’s 27-108mm zoom is slightly shorter in range but offers a longer minimum focusing distance at 1cm, favorable for macro enthusiasts.

Viewing and Composition: Screen and Interface

Both cameras eschew electronic viewfinders, relying on LCD screens. The Samsung sports a 3-inch, 920k-dot fixed screen, while the Sony has a 3-inch, 230k-dot Clear Photo LCD with touchscreen functionality.

From my hands-on testing, the Samsung’s brighter, higher resolution screen proves easier for framing under challenging daylight, while the Sony’s touchscreen adds intuitive gesture control and menu navigation – a blessing for those accustomed to smartphones.

If you frequently shoot outdoors, the TL350’s screen offers more visibility and fine preview, whereas the T110’s touchscreen sometimes suffers from glare, making precise focus confirmation tricky.

Autofocus and Speed: Catching the Moment

The TL350 employs a contrast-detection AF system with center-weighted single-point focusing. It doesn't have face or eye detection, nor continuous AF tracking. Its continuous shooting speed peaks at 10fps, impressive for a camera of its days. The Sony uses a contrast-based system with 9 focus points and supports touch autofocus via touchscreen but is limited to 1 fps burst speed.

For wildlife or sports photography, neither camera is designed for high-end tracking performance. Still, in my field tests, the Samsung’s faster burst rate lets you capture action bursts, though the AF speed feels a little slow in low contrast or low light. The Sony struggles with slower AF lock times and only fires single shots effectively.

Portrait and street shooters will appreciate the TL350’s faster shutter speeds (max 1/2000s) for freezing movement, while the Sony caps at 1/1600s - less important in stable conditions but limiting in bright daylight or when handholding longer lenses.

Lens and Zoom: Versatility in Framing

Samsung’s 24-120mm equivalent zoom lens operates at F2.4-5.8, offering bright wide angle and moderate telephoto reach. Sony’s 27-108mm zoom runs at F3.5-4.6, slightly narrower on both extremes.
The TL350’s wider aperture at the wide end means better indoor and low light capability, plus more potential for pleasing background separation in portraits. The Sony’s minimum macro focus at just 1cm is exceptional for close-up detail, ahead of the TL350’s 5cm limit.

Given lens sharpness standards on compact cameras, the TL350’s optics show less distortion and better edge-to-edge sharpness in my chart tests, lending itself well to landscapes and general photography. Sony’s lens is acceptable but prone to slight softness toward the long end and less robust contrast rendition.

Video and Multimedia: Moving Images and Connectivity

Here’s where the Samsung TL350 clearly outperforms the Sony T110. The TL350 records full HD 1080p video at 30fps in H.264 format, while the Sony maxes out at 720p. You won’t find microphone or headphone jacks on either, nor advanced video features like 4K or high framerate modes, but the TL350’s overall video quality is noticeably better and relatively smooth.

Neither camera supports Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but the Sony supports Eye-Fi card compatibility for wireless image transfer - kind of a niche advantage, but useful if you have compatible cards.

On storage, both cameras have one slot for SD or SDHC cards, but Sony also supports Memory Stick formats, providing more flexibility if you already use Sony accessories.

Battery, Build Quality & Durability

Neither camera sports weather sealing or ruggedized construction - typical for compacts in this range and era. Physically, both have plastic bodies but with solid build quality considering their class.

The TL350 uses the Samsung SLB-11A battery, while the Sony’s NP-BG1; both provide modest battery life (typically around 200-300 shots per charge in real-world use). Neither offers USB charging; you’ll need dedicated chargers.

For extended shooting or travel, carry spare batteries - especially for the Sony’s smaller battery, which drains faster during liveview and video.

Real-World Photography Scenarios: What Each Camera Excels At

Portrait Photography:
Samsung TL350 wins here with a brighter lens, manual exposure control, and faster burst rates helping capture expressive moments coupled with decent bokeh. Sony T110 has limited aperture and no manual modes, making lighting control and depth control modest.

Landscape Shots:
TL350’s better dynamic range and sharper lens edges are ideal for broad scenes and HDR enthusiasts (despite no in-camera bracketing). Sony’s higher megapixel count helps with cropping but noisier shadows reduce image quality.

Wildlife and Sports:
Neither is a speed demon, but TL350’s 10fps burst and faster max shutter speed offer more chances at action shots. Sony lags with slow AF and 1fps shoots, better for casual use.

Street Photography:
Sony’s ultra-compact size makes it discreet and light for street photography, though slower AF and smaller aperture can be limiting in low light. If portability and simplicity are your priorities, Sony’s T110 is tempting.

Macro Photography:
Sony’s 1cm macro focus edge beats Samsung’s 5cm minimum focusing distance – great for close-ups of flowers and details. However, Samsung’s optical stabilization helps with sharper handheld macro shots.

Night and Astro:
TL350’s better high ISO handling and longer max shutter speed (up to 16 seconds) facilitate night and astro shots better than Sony, which maxes at 1.6 seconds shutter and shows more noise.

Video:
Samsung simply blows Sony out of the water with true 1080p recording.

Travel:
Sony’s tiny form and weight plus touchscreen make it ultra-travel friendly; Samsung offers more creative controls but at a size and weight penalty to consider.

Professional Use:
Neither camera will satisfy pros demanding speed, weather sealing, or RAW workflows, but Samsung’s raw support and manual controls give it a slight edge for serious enthusiasts.

Detailed Performance Ratings and Scores

Combining hands-on testing with lab metrics, here are overall ratings summarizing the cameras’ strengths and weaknesses across key performance categories.

And a quick breakdown by photography types for easy reference:

This indicates clearly how each camera suits practical uses.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Who Should Buy the Samsung TL350?
If you want a compact camera with manual exposure controls, better image quality and video, faster shooting speeds, and decent handling - especially for portraits, landscapes, and night shooting - the TL350 is a solid pick. Its bulkier size is a worthwhile trade-off for the creative freedom and better results in diverse conditions. Just don’t expect pro-grade autofocus or crazy lens reach.

Who Should Pick the Sony Cyber-shot T110?
If absolute portability, simplicity, and a sleek touchscreen interface top your list - and your photography ambitions are more casual snapshots, travel photos, or street scenes - Sony’s T110 offers excellent convenience and respectable image quality at a friendlier price and ultra-thin form factor. Just expect slower operation and weaker low-light performance.

Additional Insights From My Testing Approach

In testing these cameras, I focused on shooting side-by-side in comparable conditions - daylight, low-light portraits, busy street scenes, macro subjects, and landscapes - to identify measurable differences in exposure consistency, color accuracy, focusing speed, image noise, and stabilization efficacy.

I also benchmarked shutter lag and continuous shooting timing with custom setups to validate manufacturer claims versus real-world usability. These hands-on tactics reveal subtle yet impactful user experience factors not obvious from specs alone.

Wrapping Up

Choosing between the Samsung TL350 and Sony T110 boils down to your photographic priorities - manual control and image versatility versus ultra-portable convenience. Both cameras, though just over a decade old, still present thoughtful design choices and strengths that can suit hobbyists and those seeking straightforward point-and-shoot solutions.

If I had to summarize in a sentence: For creative control and overall image/video quality, go Samsung; for pocket-ready grab-and-go simplicity, choose Sony.

Feel free to scroll through the sample images I shot from both, highlighting differences in colors and sharpness.

And remember, technology has marched on, but sometimes these classics deliver just what you need without breaking the bank.

I hope this detailed comparison helps you nail down the camera that feels right in hand, works smoothly in your shooting style, and fits your budget. If you’re torn or have questions about using either model in specific scenarios, I’m happy to share more insights from my extensive testing experience.

Happy shooting!