Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
We shoot a specially designed chart in carefully controlled conditions and the resulting images are analysed using DXO Analyzer software to generate the data to produce the graphs below.
A high signal to noise ratio (SNR) indicates a cleaner and better quality image.
For more more details on how to interpret our test data, check out our full explanation of our noise and dynamic range tests.
Here we compare the Samsung NX300 with the Sony NEX-R5, Samsung NX200 and Olympus E-PL5.
JPEG signal to noise ratio
These results show that JPEG images from the Samsung NX300 show a weaker signal to noise ratio than those from the Sony NEX-R5 at every sensitivity setting. However, the NX300's JPEGs show a greater signal to noise ratio than the Samsung NX200's at every sensitivity but ISO 12800. The Samsung NX300's JPEG SNR results are most similar to the Olympus E-PL5's, producing very similar scores at ISO 200, 400, 1600 and 6400, with the Samsung creeping ahead at ISO 800 and 3200, and falling behind at ISO 12800.
Raw signal to noise ratio
The signal to noise ratios of the TIFF images (after conversion from raw) from the Samsung NX300 are the weakest of the group at every sensitivity, falling behind the Sony NEX-R5, Olympus E-PL5, Canon EOS M and Samsung NX200.
JPEG dynamic range
JPEG results for dynamic range are similar to those for signal to noise ratio, with the Samsung NX300 producing less dynamic range than the Olympus E-PL5 at every sensitivity, and less than the Sony NEX-R5 at every setting but ISO 400. The NX300 produces greater dynamic range than the Samsung NX200 at every setting but ISO 400.
Raw dynamic range
This chart indicates that TIFF images (after conversion from raw) from the Samsung NX300 show greater dynamic range than the Samsung NX200 at every sensitivity setting, but less dynamic range than the Olympus E-PL5 at every sensitivity and less than the Sony NEX-R5 at every sensitivity except ISO 100. The NX300 shows greater dynamic range than the Canon EOS M at ISO 100, 200 and 800, but is weaker at every other ISO setting.
