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Sony A3000 Comparison Review

The Sony Alpha A3000 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in August 2013 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 19.8 megapixel.

camera

Is the Sony A3000 a good camera? The A3000 has a Camera Elo of 1712. This rating puts the A3000 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the A3000 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Sony A3000 is more than 10 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2013.

Headline Specifications
Sony A3000
Mirrorless system camera
Sony E mount lenses
19.8 MP, APS-C Sensor
1080/60i Video
ISO 100 - 16 000
Electronic viewfinder (202k dots)
3.0 LCD, 230k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
2.5 shutter flaps per second
470 shots per battery charge
128 x 91 x 85 mm, 411 g

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.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Sony A3000 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Sony A3000 vs credit card front
A3000 versus credit card top view
A3000 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony A3000 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.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A3000 128 mm 91 mm 85 mm 411 g 470 n Aug 2013 329ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A6400 120 mm 67 mm 50 mm 403 g 410 Y Jan 2019 899 amazon.com
3.
 
Sony A5000 110 mm 63 mm 36 mm 269 g 420 n Jan 2014 449ebay.com
4.
 
Sony A5100 110 mm 63 mm 36 mm 283 g 400 n Aug 2014 549ebay.com
5.
 
Sony A6000 120 mm 67 mm 45 mm 344 g 360 n Feb 2014 599ebay.com
6.
 
Sony A58 129 mm 95 mm 78 mm 492 g 690 n Feb 2013 599ebay.com
7.
 
Sony NEX-3N 110 mm 62 mm 35 mm 269 g 480 n Feb 2013 499ebay.com
8.
 
Sony RX1R 113 mm 65 mm 70 mm 482 g 270 n Jun 2013 2,799ebay.com
9.
 
Sony NEX-6 120 mm 67 mm 43 mm 345 g 360 n Sep 2012 999ebay.com
10.
 
Sony RX1 113 mm 65 mm 70 mm 482 g 270 n Sep 2012 2,799ebay.com
11.
 
Sony NEX-7 120 mm 67 mm 43 mm 400 g 430 n Aug 2011 1,349ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony A3000 was launched in the US market at a price of $329. 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.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors 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. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Sony A3000 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 A3000 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Sony A3000 sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Sony A3000 APS-C 19.8 5456 36321080/60i23.712.8106878
2.
 
Sony A6400 APS-C 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.013.6143183
3.
 
Sony A5000 APS-C 19.8 5456 36321080/60i23.813.0108979
4.
 
Sony A5100 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p23.812.7134780
5.
 
Sony A6000 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.113.1134782
6.
 
Sony A58 APS-C 19.8 5456 36321080/60i23.312.575374
7.
 
Sony NEX-3N APS-C 16.0 4912 32641080/60i22.812.5106774
8.
 
Sony RX1R Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p25.013.6253791
9.
 
Sony NEX-6 APS-C 16.0 4912 32641080/60i23.713.1101878
10.
 
Sony RX1 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p25.114.3253493
11.
 
Sony NEX-7 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60i24.113.4101681
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Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The A3000 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the A3000 can use is 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the A3000 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 202k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.47x. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Sony A3000 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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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 A3000202 n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
2.
 
Sony A64002359 n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
3.
 
Sony A5000none n3.0 / 461 tilting n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y n
4.
 
Sony A5100none n3.0 / 922 tilting Y 1/4000s 6.0/s Y n
5.
 
Sony A60001440 n3.0 / 922 tilting n 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
6.
 
Sony A581440 n2.7 / 460 tilting n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y Y
7.
 
Sony NEX-3Noptional n3.0 / 460 tilting n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y n
8.
 
Sony RX1Roptional n3.0 / 1229 fixed n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
9.
 
Sony NEX-62359 n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/4000s 10.0/s Y n
10.
 
Sony RX1optional n3.0 / 1229 fixed n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
11.
 
Sony NEX-72359 n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/4000s 10.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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One convenient feature of the A3000 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.

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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 A3000 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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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 A3000Ystereo / mono--mini2.0---
2.
 
Sony A6400Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YYY
3.
 
Sony A5000-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
4.
 
Sony A5100-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
5.
 
Sony A6000Ystereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
6.
 
Sony A58Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
7.
 
Sony NEX-3N-stereo / mono--micro2.0---
8.
 
Sony RX1RYstereo / monoY-mini2.0---
9.
 
Sony NEX-6Ystereo / mono--mini2.0Y--
10.
 
Sony RX1Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
11.
 
Sony NEX-7Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
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Further information on the features and operation of the A3000 can be found in the free online Sony A3000 Manual or on the Sony support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A3000. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A30003/5+....4/54/5 Aug 2013 329ebay.com
2.
 
Sony A64004/5+4/585/1004.5/54/5 Jan 2019 899 amazon.com
3.
 
Sony A50003/5+....4.5/54.5/5 Jan 2014 449ebay.com
4.
 
Sony A51004.5/5+....4.5/55/5 Aug 2014 549ebay.com
5.
 
Sony A60005/5+4.5/580/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2014 599ebay.com
6.
 
Sony A583/5......4.5/54.5/5 Feb 2013 599ebay.com
7.
 
Sony NEX-3N3/5......4.5/54.5/5 Feb 2013 499ebay.com
8.
 
Sony RX1R5/5......4/54.5/5 Jun 2013 2,799ebay.com
9.
 
Sony NEX-65/5+ +..78/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2012 999ebay.com
10.
 
Sony RX15/5....79/1004/54.5/5 Sep 2012 2,799ebay.com
11.
 
Sony NEX-75/5+ +..81/1004.5/55/5 Aug 2011 1,349ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, 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.

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Sony A3000 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the A3000.

What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Sony A3000?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Sony A3000 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Sony equipped the A3000 with the BIONZ image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Sony A3000?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 16000.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Sony Alpha A3000?

Sony does not publish a shutter rating for the A3000. Yet, shutters in comparable cameras from other manufacturers are said to be good for at least 100 000 actuations. It should be noted, though, that this number represents a Mean Time before Failure. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust an expected shutter life of 100 000 shots over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Sony A3000?

Sony embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your A3000 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Sony A3000?

The A3000 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Sony A3000 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Sony A3000 for flash photography?

The A3000's flash sync speed is 1/160 sec.

Which battery does the Sony A3000 use?

The camera gets its power from the NP-FW50 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, 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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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Sony A3000
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Sony E mount lenses
    Launch Date August 2013
    Launch Price USD 329
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.2 x 15.4 mm
    Sensor Area 357 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 27.8 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 19.8 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 5 456 x 3 632 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.25 μm
    Pixel Density 5.55 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60i Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 16 000 ISO
    Image Processor BIONZ
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 78
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 23.7
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 12.8
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 1068
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.47x
    Viewfinder Resolution 202k dots
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 230k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 2.5 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support no
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Battery Type NP-FW50 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)470 shots per charge
    In-Camera Charging USB charging
    Body Dimensions 128 x 91 x 85 mm
    (5.0 x 3.6 x 3.3 in)
    Camera Weight 411 g (14.5 oz)

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