Olympus VG-160 vs Sony NEX-3

Here is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus VG-160 and Sony NEX-3, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is very close but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor size.

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The VG-160 was announced 20 months later than the NEX-3 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a brief overview of how the VG-160 scores vs the NEX-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VG-160 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus VG-160 comes with outer dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3 has proportions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus VG-160 and Sony NEX-3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the VG-160 compared to the NEX-3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VG-160 and NEX-3 is 96 and 89 respectively.

Often, its difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The photograph below might offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and NEX-3.

As you can tell, both cameras posses the exact same MP but different sensor sizing. The VG-160 contains the smaller sensor which should make achieving shallower DOF more difficult. The more recent VG-160 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.