Samsung NX1 vs Samsung NX20

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Samsung NX1 and the Samsung NX20, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Samsung NX1 was introduced in September 2014 and Samsung NX20 was introduced in April 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Samsung NX1 over Samsung NX20.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Samsung NX20 over Samsung NX1.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Samsung NX1 and Samsung NX20 have 3.0" screens with 1,036k dot and 614k dot resolutions respectively. Samsung NX1 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Samsung NX20 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Samsung NX1 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Viewfinder

Samsung NX1 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution and Samsung NX20 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. They both have 100% coverage and 1.04x (0.69x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

Samsung NX1 features a 28.2 megapixel APS-C BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 369 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 51,200 in boosted mode. Samsung NX20 features a 20.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 246.5 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800.

Samsung NX1 has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Samsung NX1 is equipped with DRIMe 5 processor and can take pictures up to 6480 x 4320 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 6480 x 3648, 4320 x 4320, 4560 x 3040, 4605 x 2592, 3088 x 3088, 3264 x 2176, 3328 x 1872, 2160 x 2160, 2112 x 1408, 2048 x 1152, 1408 x 1408 with 1:1, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Samsung NX20 can take pictures up to 5472 x 3648 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 5472 x 3080, 3888 x 2592, 3712 x 2088, 3648 x 3648, 2976 x 1984, 2944 x 1656, 2736 x 1824, 2640 x 2640, 2000 x 2000, 1920 x 1080, 1728 x 1152, 1024 x 1024 with 1:1, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Cameras have Samsung NX lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.5x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.

No Low-Pass Filter on Samsung NX1

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Samsung NX1. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Samsung NX1 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Samsung NX20 nothing can be done. On Samsung NX20 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Samsung NX1 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi

Cameras have built-in Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5 802.11ac/b/g/n 2.4/5 GHz on Samsung NX1, 802.11n 2.4 GHz on Samsung NX20) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

Bluetooth on Samsung NX1

Samsung NX1 has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

NFC on Samsung NX1

Samsung NX1 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Samsung NX1 has a Micro HDMI and Samsung NX20 has an HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Samsung NX1 comes with BP1900 battery pack with battery life of 500 shots and Samsung NX20 comes with BP1130 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots.

External Storage Slots

Samsung NX1 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) card slot. Samsung NX20 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Samsung NX1, and up to 1/8000 sec on Samsung NX20. Samsung NX1 can shoot continuously up to 15.0 fps. Samsung NX20 can shoot continuously up to 8.0 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 11.00 m at ISO 100 on Samsung NX1 and 11.00 m on Samsung NX20. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Samsung NX20.

Samsung NX1 body has dimensions of 139 x 102 x 66 mm (5.47 x 4.02 x 2.6") and Samsung NX20 body has dimensions of 122 x 90 x 40 mm (4.8 x 3.54 x 1.57"). Samsung NX1 weighs 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz) and Samsung NX20 weighs 341 g (0.75 lb / 12.03 oz).

Samsung NX1

Samsung NX20

139 mm

102 mm

122 mm

90 mm

102 mm

90 mm

66 mm

40 mm