Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony NEX-3

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus XZ-10 versus Sony NEX-3, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the XZ-10 (12MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is very well matched but the XZ-10 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-10 was introduced 2 years later than the NEX-3 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a short highlight of how the XZ-10 matches up vs the NEX-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus XZ-10 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-10 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-10 comes with outer dimensions of 102mm x 61mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3 has sizing of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-10 versus Sony NEX-3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the XZ-10 against the NEX-3.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-10 and NEX-3 is 91 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualize the difference between sensor sizing just by looking at specifications. The visual here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-10 and NEX-3.

Plainly, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The XZ-10 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony NEX-3 will give more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos much more aggressively. The more modern XZ-10 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.