Sony NEX-C3 Comparison Review

The Sony Alpha NEX-C3 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in June 2011 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 16 megapixel.

Is the Sony NEX-C3 a good camera? The NEX-C3 has a Camera Elo of 1577. This rating puts the NEX-C3 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the NEX-C3 also ranks below average. – Well, the Sony NEX-C3 is more than 10 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2011.

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 side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony NEX-C3 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony NEX-C3 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 (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony NEX-C3	110 mm	60 mm	33 mm	225 g	400	n	Jun 2011	599
2.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599
3.		Sony NEX-3N	110 mm	62 mm	35 mm	269 g	480	n	Feb 2013	499
4.		Sony NEX-5T	111 mm	59 mm	39 mm	276 g	330	n	Aug 2013	699
5.		Sony NEX-5R	111 mm	59 mm	39 mm	276 g	330	n	Aug 2012	749
6.		Sony NEX-6	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	345 g	360	n	Sep 2012	999
7.		Sony NEX-F3	117 mm	67 mm	42 mm	314 g	470	n	May 2012	599
8.		Sony RX100	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	240 g	330	n	Jun 2012	649
9.		Sony NEX-5N	111 mm	59 mm	38 mm	269 g	460	n	Aug 2011	699
10.		Sony NEX-3	117 mm	62 mm	33 mm	297 g	330	n	May 2010	599
11.		Sony NEX-5	111 mm	59 mm	38 mm	287 g	330	n	May 2010	699
Notes: 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-C3 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.

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. 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 NEX-C3 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-C3 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 determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

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-C3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	720/30p	22.7	12.2	1083	73
2.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
3.		Sony NEX-3N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.8	12.5	1067	74
4.		Sony NEX-5T	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60p	23.6	13.0	1015	78
5.		Sony NEX-5R	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	910	78
6.		Sony NEX-6	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.7	13.1	1018	78
7.		Sony NEX-F3	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	22.7	12.3	1114	73
8.		Sony RX100	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.6	12.4	390	66
9.		Sony NEX-5N	APS-C	16.0	4912	3264	1080/60i	23.6	12.7	1079	77
10.		Sony NEX-3	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	720/30p	22.1	12.0	830	68
11.		Sony NEX-5	APS-C	14.0	4592	3056	1080/60i	22.2	12.2	796	69

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The NEX-C3 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the NEX-C3 can use is 720/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony NEX-C3 and comparable 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)	Mech Shutter Speed	Shutter Flaps (1/sec)	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony NEX-C3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.5	n	n
2.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0	Y	n
3.		Sony NEX-3N	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	4.0	Y	n
4.		Sony NEX-5T	optional	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0	n	n
5.		Sony NEX-5R	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0	n	n
6.		Sony NEX-6	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0	Y	n
7.		Sony NEX-F3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.5	Y	n
8.		Sony RX100	none	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/2000s	10.0	Y	Y
9.		Sony NEX-5N	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	Y	1/4000s	10.0	n	n
10.		Sony NEX-3	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.0	n	n
11.		Sony NEX-5	optional	n	3.0 / 920	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.0	n	n

The LCD screen on the Sony Alpha NEX-C3 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-C3 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-C3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Sony NEX-3N	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Sony NEX-5T	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Sony NEX-5R	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Sony NEX-6	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Sony NEX-F3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Sony RX100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Sony NEX-5N	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Sony NEX-3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Sony NEX-5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

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 NEX-C3. 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 (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony NEX-C3	3/5	+ +	..	74/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2011	599
2.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599
3.		Sony NEX-3N	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	499
4.		Sony NEX-5T	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2013	699
5.		Sony NEX-5R	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2012	749
6.		Sony NEX-6	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	999
7.		Sony NEX-F3	4/5	..	..	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2012	599
8.		Sony RX100	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4/5	5/5	Jun 2012	649
9.		Sony NEX-5N	3/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2011	699
10.		Sony NEX-3	..	..	..	70/100	4.5/5	4/5	May 2010	599
11.		Sony NEX-5	3/5	+ +	..	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	May 2010	699
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, 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 comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. 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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