Olympus SH-50 vs Sony NEX-3

Below, we are comparing the Olympus SH-50 and Sony NEX-3, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SH-50 (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the SH-50 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The SH-50 was revealed 2 years after the NEX-3 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short summary of how the SH-50 grades vs the NEX-3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SH-50 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-50 comes with outer measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3 has dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Check the Olympus SH-50 and Sony NEX-3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the SH-50 compared to the NEX-3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-50 and NEX-3 is 88 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to see the difference between sensor sizes simply by checking specs. The picture below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-50 and NEX-3.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SH-50 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus SH-50 will give you extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer SH-50 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.