Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-3
68 Imaging
44 Features
45 Overall
44
89 Imaging
54 Features
55 Overall
54
Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 552g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
- Released August 2008
- Older Model is Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
- Introduced June 2010
- Renewed by Sony NEX-C3
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On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-3, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe E-520 was launched 21 months earlier than the NEX-3 making them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before going into a complete comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-520 grades vs the NEX-3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-520 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-520 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-520 over the Sony NEX-3
| E-520 | NEX-3 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Olympus E-520
| NEX-3 | E-520 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | June 2010 |  | August 2008 | Fresher by 21 months |
| Display type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting display |
| Display dimensions | 3" |  | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
| Display resolution | 920k |  | 230k | Crisper display (+690k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-520 and Sony NEX-3
| E-520 | NEX-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | More precise focusing | ||
| Selfie screen |  | Neither provides selfie screen | ||
| Touch display |  | Neither provides Touch display |
Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-520 provides outer dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3 has proportions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-520 versus the NEX-3.
Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-520 and NEX-3 is 68 and 89 respectively.
Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it is hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizing only by checking out technical specs. The visual here may provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-520 and NEX-3.
As you can tell, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-520 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Sony NEX-3 will show extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images more aggressively. The older E-520 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.
Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-520 vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications
| Olympus E-520 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus E-520 | Sony Alpha NEX-3 |
| Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2008-08-20 | 2010-06-07 |
| Body design | Compact SLR | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | - | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10MP | 14MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 12800 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 200 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Total focus points | 3 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Amount of lenses | 45 | 121 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display size | 2.7" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 230k dot | 920k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Display tech | - | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | - |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter speed | 4.0fps | 7.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 12.00 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash sync | 1/180 seconds | 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 data format | - | MPEG-4 |
| Microphone input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| 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 | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 552 grams (1.22 lb) | 297 grams (0.65 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 55 | 68 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.4 | 22.1 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | 12.0 |
| DXO Low light rating | 548 | 830 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 650 photos | 330 photos |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | NPFW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Retail price | $400 | $0 |