Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony NEX-3N

Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony NEX-3N, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and NEX-3N (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and NEX-3N (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

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The XZ-1 was announced 3 years earlier than the NEX-3N and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summary of how the XZ-1 grades versus the NEX-3N when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-1 provides outer dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3N has specifications of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony NEX-3N in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the NEX-3N.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and NEX-3N is 88 and 89 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to picture the difference in sensor measurements merely by viewing specifications. The photograph below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and NEX-3N.

Plainly, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony NEX-3N will provide you with greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older XZ-1 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.