Sony NEX-3 Comparison Review

The Sony Alpha NEX-3 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was officially introduced in May 2010 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 14 megapixel.

Is the Sony NEX-3 a good camera? The NEX-3 has a Camera Elo of 1443. This rating puts the NEX-3 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the NEX-3 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Sony NEX-3 is more than 14 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2010.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Sony NEX-3 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony NEX-3 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony NEX-3	117 mm	62 mm	33 mm	297 g	330	n	May 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
2.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
3.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Sony NEX-3N	110 mm	62 mm	35 mm	269 g	480	n	Feb 2013	US$ 499	ebay.com
5.		Sony NEX-5	111 mm	59 mm	38 mm	287 g	330	n	May 2010	US$ 699	ebay.com
6.		Sony NEX-5N	111 mm	59 mm	38 mm	269 g	460	n	Aug 2011	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Sony NEX-5R	111 mm	59 mm	39 mm	276 g	330	n	Aug 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
8.		Sony NEX-5T	111 mm	59 mm	39 mm	276 g	330	n	Aug 2013	US$ 699	ebay.com
9.		Sony NEX-6	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	345 g	360	n	Sep 2012	US$ 999	ebay.com
10.		Sony NEX-C3	110 mm	60 mm	33 mm	225 g	400	n	Jun 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
11.		Sony NEX-F3	117 mm	67 mm	42 mm	314 g	470	n	May 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony NEX-3 was launched in the US market at a price of $599. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check NEX-3 offers at
ebay.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Sony NEX-3 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony NEX-3 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony NEX-3	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	720/30p	22.1	12.0	830	68
2.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
3.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
4.		Sony NEX-3N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.8	12.5	1067	74
5.		Sony NEX-5	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	1080/60i	22.2	12.2	796	69
6.		Sony NEX-5N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.6	12.7	1079	77
7.		Sony NEX-5R	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	910	78
8.		Sony NEX-5T	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60p	23.6	13.0	1015	78
9.		Sony NEX-6	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	1018	78
10.		Sony NEX-C3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	720/30p	22.7	12.2	1083	73
11.		Sony NEX-F3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.7	12.3	1114	73

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The NEX-3 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the NEX-3 can use is 720/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Sony NEX-3 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony NEX-3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	n	n
2.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
3.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
4.		Sony NEX-3N	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
5.		Sony NEX-5	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	n	n
6.		Sony NEX-5N	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	n
7.		Sony NEX-5R	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	n
8.		Sony NEX-5T	optional	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	n
9.		Sony NEX-6	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
10.		Sony NEX-C3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.5/s	n	n
11.		Sony NEX-F3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.5/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Sony Alpha NEX-3 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha NEX-3 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony NEX-3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Sony NEX-3N	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Sony NEX-5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Sony NEX-5N	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Sony NEX-5R	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Sony NEX-5T	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Sony NEX-6	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Sony NEX-C3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony NEX-F3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Further information on the features and operation of the NEX-3 can be found in the free online Sony NEX-3 Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the NEX-3. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why expert reviews are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony NEX-3	..	..	..	70/100	4.5/5	4/5	May 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
2.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
3.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Sony NEX-3N	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	US$ 499	ebay.com
5.		Sony NEX-5	3/5	+ +	..	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	May 2010	US$ 699	ebay.com
6.		Sony NEX-5N	3/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2011	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Sony NEX-5R	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
8.		Sony NEX-5T	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2013	US$ 699	ebay.com
9.		Sony NEX-6	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 999	ebay.com
10.		Sony NEX-C3	3/5	+ +	..	74/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
11.		Sony NEX-F3	4/5	..	..	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check NEX-3 offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just make your choice using the following search menu. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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