Sony FX3 vs Samsung NX5

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony FX3 and the Samsung NX5, 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.

      Sony FX3 was introduced in February 2021 and Samsung NX5 was introduced in June 2010. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Sony FX3 Highlights

      • 10.2 MP Full Frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
      • 80 - 102,400 Native ISO
      • 759 Focus Points
      • 5-Axis Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 1,440k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • 10.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 3840 x 2160 Video Shooting
      • 13 h Video Recording Limit
      • HDR-HLG, S Cinetone, Sony S-Log 2, Sony S-Log 3, Standard
      • Built-In Wi-Fi
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Samsung NX5 Highlights

      • 15 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 15 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Electronic Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1280 x 720 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      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.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Sony FX3 and Samsung NX5.

      PROS

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      •   Video Capture
      •   Large Sensor
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   102,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   759 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Animal Eye Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Digital Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   10-bit 4:2:2 Color
      •   No crop on 4K Videos
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Unlimited Video Recording
      •   High Video Recording Limit
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   USB Charging
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 499 g (1.10 lb / 17.60 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.2 Megapixel
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Flash Sync Speed - 1/125 sec
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Short Battery Life - 600 shots
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   DxO Overall Score - 85
      •   Weight - 715 g (1.58 lb/ 25.3 oz)
      •   Sensor Resolution - 15 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Advantage of Sony FX3

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony FX3 over Samsung NX5.

      Sony FX3 vs Samsung NX5
      Sensor Type BSI-CMOS vs CMOS
      Larger Sensor Full Frame vs APS-C
      Lower Native ISO 80 vs 100
      Higher Native ISO 102,400 vs 3,200
      Timelapse Recording With downloadable app vs
      More Focus Points 759 vs 15
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Center Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Animal Eye Detection vs
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Image Stabilization 5-Axis Sensor Shift vs
      Digital Image Stabilization vs
      Screen Type Fully Articulated vs Fixed
      Touch Screen vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,440k dot vs 230k dot
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/8000 sec vs 1/4000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps vs 3.0 fps
      Average Metering vs
      Higher Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1280 x 720
      Unlimited Video Recording vs
      Higher USB Speed USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
      Microphone Input vs
      Headphone Output vs
      Built-In Wi-Fi vs
      Built-In Bluetooth vs
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Longer Battery Life 600 shots vs 400 shots
      More Storage Slots 2 vs 1

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony FX3.

      Advantage of Samsung NX5

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Samsung NX5 over Sony FX3.

      Sony FX3 vs Samsung NX5
      Higher Sensor Resolution 10.2 Megapixel vs 15 Megapixel
      Max Image Resolution 4240 x 2832 vs 4592 x 3056
      Viewfinder vs Electronic
      Built-in Flash vs
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/125 sec vs 1/180 sec
      Lighter 715 g (1.58 lb/ 25.3 oz) vs 499 g (1.10 lb / 17.60 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Samsung NX5.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      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.

      STRENGTHS Sony FX3 Samsung NX5
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        HDMI Output Full Size Mini
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Sony FX3 Samsung NX5
        No Built-in GPS
        Short Battery Life600 shots400 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Sony FX3 and Samsung NX5 have 3.0" screens with 1,440k dot and 230k dot resolutions respectively. Sony FX3 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Samsung NX5 has a Fixed screen Sony FX3 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.

      Image cannot be displayed

      Sony FX3 with Fully Articulated screen


      Electronic Viewfinder on Samsung NX5

      Samsung NX5 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.86x (0.57x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Sony FX3.

      Sensor

      Sony FX3 features a 10.2 megapixel Full Frame BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 35.6 x 23.8 mm and a total area of 847.3 mm2. Its native ISO range is 80 - 102,400 and expands to 50 - 409,600 in boosted mode. Samsung NX5 features a 15 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.4 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200.

      Sony FX3 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
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Sony FX3 is equipped with BIONZ XR processor and can take pictures up to 4240 x 2832 resolution. Samsung NX5 is equipped with DRIM Engine processor and can take pictures up to 4592 x 3056 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4592 x 2584, 3872 x 2592, 3872 x 2176, 3008 x 2000, 3008 x 1688, 1920 x 1280, 1920 x 1080, 1472 x 976 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Sony FX3 has Sony E lens mount and Samsung NX5 has Samsung NX lens mount. Due to Full Frame sensor in Sony FX3 its crop factor is equal to 1x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length. Due to APS-C sensor in Samsung NX5 its crop factor 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.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Sony FX3

      Sony FX3 has a built-in 5-Axis Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi on Sony FX3

      Sony FX3 has a built-in Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5, 802.11ac/b/g/n, 2.4/5 GHz) 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 Sony FX3

      Sony FX3 has a built-in Bluetooth (version 5) 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 Sony FX3

      Sony FX3 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. Sony FX3 has a Full Size HDMI and Samsung NX5 has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Sony FX3 comes with NP-FZ100 battery pack with battery life of 600 shots and Samsung NX5 comes with BP1130 battery pack with battery life of 400 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Sony FX3 has Dual CFexpress Type A / SD card slots. Samsung NX5 has a single SD/SDHC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Sony FX3 has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Sony FX3, and up to 1/4000 sec on Samsung NX5. Sony FX3 can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps. Samsung NX5 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Sony FX3 has Fast Hybrid AF (Phase-detection / Contrast-detection) system with 759 focusing points and Samsung NX5 has 15 focusing points..


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Sony FX3 ranges from -3 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range on Samsung NX5. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sony FX3 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Samsung NX5.


      Flash

      Samsung NX5 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 11.00 m and also accepts external flash. Sony FX3 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Intelligent Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/125 sec on Sony FX3 and 1/180 sec on Samsung NX5.

      Physical Parameters

      Sony FX3 body has dimensions of 130 x 78 x 85 mm (5.1 x 3.1 x 3.3") and Samsung NX5 body has dimensions of 123 x 87 x 40 mm (4.84 x 3.43 x 1.57"). Sony FX3 weighs 715 g (1.58 lb/ 25.3 oz) and Samsung NX5 weighs 499 g (1.10 lb / 17.60 oz).

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      130 mm

      78 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      123 mm

      87 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      78 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      87 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      85 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      40 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Sony FX3 and Samsung NX5

      Sony FX3 and Samsung NX5 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,440k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      GOOD
      82
      •   102,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   759 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,440k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 600 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      GOOD
      81
      •   102,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   759 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Animal Eye Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,440k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 600 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      55
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      EXCELLENT
      89
      •   Large Sensor
      •   759 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,440k dot
      •   Low Flash Sync Speed - 1/125 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      77
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      EXCELLENT
      89
      •   Large Sensor
      •   759 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,440k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 715 g (1.58 lb/ 25.3 oz)
      GOOD
      78
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 499 g (1.10 lb / 17.60 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,440k dot
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   No crop on 4K Videos
      •   High Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 715 g (1.58 lb/ 25.3 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 600 shots
      GOOD
      78
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 499 g (1.10 lb / 17.60 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Sony FX3 and Samsung NX5 and give them scores of 85 and 57 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      OVERALL
      85
      OVERALL
      57

      Sensor

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      GOOD
      80
      •   Large Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.2 Megapixel
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   102,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 85
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Sensor Resolution - 15 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      GOOD
      77
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Electronic) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 10.0 fps
      •   Low Flash Sync Speed - 1/125 sec
      POOR
      54
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Video

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      EXCELLENT
      89
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   10-bit 4:2:2 Color
      •   No crop on 4K Videos
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Unlimited Video Recording
      •   High Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      7
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720

      Focusing

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      EXCELLENT
      92
      •   759 Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Animal Eye Detection
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,440k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      EXCELLENT
      97
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Sony FX3

      Samsung NX5

      GOOD
      73
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 715 g (1.58 lb/ 25.3 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 600 shots
      •   2 Storage Slots
      POOR
      41
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 499 g (1.10 lb / 17.60 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 400 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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