Olympus E-400 vs Sony NEX-C3
77 Imaging
43 Features
31 Overall
38
91 Imaging
56 Features
57 Overall
56
Olympus E-400 vs Sony NEX-C3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 435g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
- Launched September 2006
- New Model is Olympus E-410
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 225g - 110 x 60 x 33mm
- Revealed August 2011
- Replaced the Sony NEX-3
- Later Model is Sony NEX-F3
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Here is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus E-400 versus Sony NEX-C3, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-400 (10MP) and NEX-C3 (16MP) and the E-400 (Four Thirds) and NEX-C3 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizing.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe E-400 was brought out 6 years prior to the NEX-C3 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before we go straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-400 grades against the NEX-C3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-400 & Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-400 Gallery & Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-400 over the Sony NEX-C3
| E-400 | NEX-C3 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-C3 over the Olympus E-400
| NEX-C3 | E-400 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | August 2011 | September 2006 | Fresher by 60 months | |
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") | |
| Screen resolution | 920k | 215k | Crisper screen (+705k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-400 and Sony NEX-C3
| E-400 | NEX-C3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Very exact focusing | |||
| Selfie screen | Lack of selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Neither provides Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-400 vs Sony NEX-C3 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to carry your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-400 provides physical measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-C3 has dimensions of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-400 versus Sony NEX-C3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-400 compared to the NEX-C3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-400 and NEX-C3 is 77 and 91 respectively.
Olympus E-400 vs Sony NEX-C3 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing purely by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-400 and NEX-C3.
As you can see, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-400 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony NEX-C3 will provide more detail having its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older E-400 will be behind in sensor tech.
Olympus E-400 vs Sony NEX-C3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-400 vs Sony NEX-C3 Specifications
| Olympus E-400 | Sony Alpha NEX-C3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus E-400 | Sony Alpha NEX-C3 |
| Class | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Launched | 2006-09-14 | 2011-08-22 |
| Physical type | Compact SLR | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | - | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10MP | 16MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 12800 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Total focus points | 3 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Total lenses | 45 | 121 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Screen sizing | 2.5" | 3" |
| Screen resolution | 215k dots | 920k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Screen tech | - | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | - |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shooting rate | 3.0fps | 6.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
| Flash options | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash synchronize | - | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
| Video file format | - | MPEG-4 |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 435g (0.96 lbs) | 225g (0.50 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") | 110 x 60 x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | 73 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.7 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.2 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 1083 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 400 photos |
| Form of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Price at launch | $599 | $343 |