Olympus SP-820UZ vs Sony NEX-3N

Below is a complete analysis of the Olympus SP-820UZ and Sony NEX-3N, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SP-820UZ (14MP) and the NEX-3N (16MP) is fairly close but the SP-820UZ (1/2.3") and NEX-3N (APS-C) enjoy different sensor size.

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The SP-820UZ was manufactured 6 months before the NEX-3N which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-820UZ being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise summary of how the SP-820UZ scores versus the NEX-3N when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ and Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery and Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SP-820UZ comes with exterior dimensions of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") accompanied by a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3N has measurements of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SP-820UZ and Sony NEX-3N in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the SP-820UZ vs the NEX-3N.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-820UZ and NEX-3N is 69 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to picture the contrast in sensor measurements simply by looking through specifications. The visual underneath should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-820UZ and NEX-3N.

To sum up, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SP-820UZ featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-3N will result in extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics much more aggressively.