Olympus VG-160 vs Sony NEX-3N

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus VG-160 and Sony NEX-3N, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the NEX-3N (16MP) is fairly similar but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and NEX-3N (APS-C) provide totally different sensor size.

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The VG-160 was brought out 13 months earlier than the NEX-3N making them a generation apart from each other. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the VG-160 matches up vs the NEX-3N in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-160 and Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 enjoys external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3N has specifications of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VG-160 and Sony NEX-3N in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the VG-160 and the NEX-3N.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the VG-160 and NEX-3N is 96 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is hard to envision the gap between sensor sizing just by going over specs. The visual below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and NEX-3N.

All in all, both of those cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The VG-160 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony NEX-3N will offer you more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older VG-160 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.