Olympus 8000 vs Sony NEX-C3

Following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus 8000 versus Sony NEX-C3, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the 8000 (12MP) and NEX-C3 (16MP) and the 8000 (1/2.3") and NEX-C3 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The 8000 was manufactured 3 years prior to the NEX-C3 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a brief summary of how the 8000 scores against the NEX-C3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 8000 Gallery and Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus 8000 offers external dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-C3 has specifications of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 8000 versus Sony NEX-C3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the 8000 versus the NEX-C3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the 8000 and NEX-C3 is 94 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading a spec sheet. The image below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the 8000 and NEX-C3.

As you can see, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The 8000 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-C3 will offer greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged 8000 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.