Olympus 1s vs Sony NEX-3

The following is a detailed review of the Olympus 1s vs Sony NEX-3, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the 1s (12MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is fairly similar but the 1s (1/1.7") and NEX-3 (APS-C) feature different sensor size.

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The 1s was released 4 years after the NEX-3 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short overview of how the 1s matches up vs the NEX-3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 1s and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 1s Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus 1s features outside dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") accompanied by a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has measurements of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 1s vs Sony NEX-3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the 1s versus the NEX-3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 1s and NEX-3 is 79 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading technical specs. The pic below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the 1s and NEX-3.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The 1s because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh trickier and the Sony NEX-3 will deliver more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more recent 1s provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.