Olympus E-400 vs Sony NEX-C3

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.

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The 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.

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.

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.

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.