Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Sony NEX-F3

Following is a complete assessment of the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Sony NEX-F3, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and NEX-F3 (16MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and NEX-F3 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SP-590 UZ was unveiled 4 years before the NEX-F3 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony NEX-F3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a in depth comparison, below is a quick summary of how the SP-590 UZ grades against the NEX-F3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony Alpha NEX-F3. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Sony NEX-F3 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-590 UZ has physical dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Sony NEX-F3 has sizing of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Sony NEX-F3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the SP-590 UZ vs the NEX-F3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SP-590 UZ and NEX-F3 is 72 and 86 respectively.

Normally, its tough to picture the difference in sensor sizes only by seeing a spec sheet. The picture here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-590 UZ and NEX-F3.

As you can see, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SP-590 UZ having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Sony NEX-F3 will produce more detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged SP-590 UZ will be behind in sensor technology.