Olympus SP-820UZ vs Sony NEX-C3

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus SP-820UZ and Sony NEX-C3, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SP-820UZ (14MP) and the NEX-C3 (16MP) is pretty well matched but the SP-820UZ (1/2.3") and NEX-C3 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SP-820UZ was announced 13 months later than the NEX-C3 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-820UZ being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the SP-820UZ grades against the NEX-C3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ & Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery & Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-820UZ has got outside dimensions of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs) while the Sony NEX-C3 has sizing of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-820UZ and Sony NEX-C3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the SP-820UZ vs the NEX-C3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-820UZ and NEX-C3 is 69 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to imagine the difference between sensor measurements merely by looking at specs. The photograph underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-820UZ and NEX-C3.

All in all, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SP-820UZ with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-C3 will give you more detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The fresher SP-820UZ provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.