Sony NEX-3N Comparison Review

The Sony Alpha NEX-3N is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was officially introduced in February 2013 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 16 megapixel.

Is the Sony NEX-3N a good camera? The NEX-3N has a Camera Elo of 1628. This rating puts the NEX-3N below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the NEX-3N also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Sony NEX-3N is more than 11 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2013.

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

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Sony NEX-3N vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony NEX-3N 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-3N	110 mm	62 mm	35 mm	269 g	480	n	Feb 2013	US$ 499	ebay.com
2.		Canon M	109 mm	66 mm	32 mm	298 g	230	n	Jul 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
3.		Sony A5000	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	269 g	420	n	Jan 2014	US$ 449	ebay.com
4.		Sony A5100	110 mm	63 mm	36 mm	283 g	400	n	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
5.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
6.		Sony NEX-3	117 mm	62 mm	33 mm	297 g	330	n	May 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Sony NEX-5N	111 mm	59 mm	38 mm	269 g	460	n	Aug 2011	US$ 699	ebay.com
8.		Sony NEX-5R	111 mm	59 mm	39 mm	276 g	330	n	Aug 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
9.		Sony NEX-5T	111 mm	59 mm	39 mm	276 g	330	n	Aug 2013	US$ 699	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-3N was launched in the US market at a price of $499. 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-3N offers at
ebay.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Sony NEX-3N 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-3N among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. 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 adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative 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-3N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.8	12.5	1067	74
2.		Canon M	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.2	827	65
3.		Sony A5000	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.8	13.0	1089	79
4.		Sony A5100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	12.7	1347	80
5.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
6.		Sony NEX-3	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	720/30p	22.1	12.0	830	68
7.		Sony NEX-5N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.6	12.7	1079	77
8.		Sony NEX-5R	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	910	78
9.		Sony NEX-5T	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60p	23.6	13.0	1015	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-3N indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the NEX-3N can use is 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Sony NEX-3N along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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-3N	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon M	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.3/s	n	n
3.		Sony A5000	none	n	3.0 / 461	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
4.		Sony A5100	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
5.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
6.		Sony NEX-3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	n	n
7.		Sony NEX-5N	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	n
8.		Sony NEX-5R	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	n
9.		Sony NEX-5T	optional	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	n	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-3N 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.

One convenient feature of the NEX-3N is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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-3N 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-3N	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon M	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Sony A5000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Sony A5100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Sony NEX-3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Sony NEX-5N	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Sony NEX-5R	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Sony NEX-5T	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	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-3N can be found in the free online Sony NEX-3N Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the NEX-3N handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is where reviews by experts come in. 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-3N	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	US$ 499	ebay.com
2.		Canon M	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
3.		Sony A5000	3/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 449	ebay.com
4.		Sony A5100	4.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
5.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
6.		Sony NEX-3	..	..	..	70/100	4.5/5	4/5	May 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Sony NEX-5N	3/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2011	US$ 699	ebay.com
8.		Sony NEX-5R	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
9.		Sony NEX-5T	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2013	US$ 699	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 ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check NEX-3N offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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