Olympus VG-120 vs Sony NEX-3N

The following is a in depth assessment of the Olympus VG-120 vs Sony NEX-3N, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VG-120 (14MP) and the NEX-3N (16MP) is very comparable but the VG-120 (1/2.3") and NEX-3N (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The VG-120 was announced 3 years before the NEX-3N which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the VG-120 scores vs the NEX-3N with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VG-120 and Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-120 Gallery and Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus VG-120 comes with external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3N has proportions of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

See the Olympus VG-120 vs Sony NEX-3N in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the VG-120 compared to the NEX-3N.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the VG-120 and NEX-3N is 96 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to envision the gap in sensor dimensions merely by going through specifications. The picture underneath may give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-120 and NEX-3N.

To sum up, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VG-120 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-3N will provide more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more aged VG-120 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.