Panasonic LX100 II vs Sony NEX-C3: A Hands-On Comparison for the Discerning Photographer

Choosing the right camera can be a bit like navigating a maze, especially when two models come from different eras and serve somewhat different audiences. On one hand, we have the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II, a relatively recent large-sensor compact camera boasting advanced features and an impressive lens. On the other, the older but well-regarded Sony Alpha NEX-C3, a pioneer in affordable entry-level mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses.

Having spent over 15 years testing cameras from entry-level compacts to high-end professional bodies - and having put thousands of shots through my own lenses - I’m diving deep into these two to help you understand what each truly offers beyond the spec sheet. Whether you’re hunting for a capable travel companion, a portrait-workhorse, or a casual street shooter, this side-by-side comparison covers the technical nuances and practical performance you need to shop smart.

Let’s get started.

Designing for Comfort and Portability: Handling the LX100 II vs NEX-C3

When it comes to how a camera feels in your hands, size and ergonomics matter a ton. The Panasonic LX100 II is a large-sensor compact with a fixed zoom lens, designed to give DSLR-like control in a smaller body. Meanwhile, the Sony NEX-C3 is a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera built around the then-new Sony E-mount ecosystem.

The LX100 II measures 115 x 66 x 64 mm and weighs roughly 392 grams, making it fairly compact but with a noticeable heft that feels solid and reassuring. The fixed 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 lens means you don’t have to carry extra glass, but the zoom range is modest - still ideal for street and portraiture.

Contrast this with the Sony NEX-C3, which is smaller and lighter at 110 x 60 x 33 mm and about 225 grams without a lens. It’s much more pocketable but trades off weather sealing and the robustness you’ll feel in the LX100 II’s body.

The LX100 II has thoughtfully placed control dials and buttons, providing a tactile, club-for-your-thumb feel for shutter speed and aperture. The NEX-C3 relies more on menus and lacks physical zoom since lenses are interchangeable, so the system's overall heft depends on the glass you pick.

Both cameras are approachable, but if you prefer a compact with DSLR-style dials and solid grip for longer shoots, the Panasonic wins comfort-wise. On the other hand, Sony’s smaller footprint and lens flexibility appeal to those who want a lightweight kit adaptable to different situations.

Top Deck and Control Layout: Intuitive or Overwhelming?

A camera can shoot beautifully, but if the controls feel clunky or confusing, it saps your creative flow quickly.

On the LX100 II, the top plate features dedicated dials for exposure modes, shutter speed, and an aperture ring on the lens barrel itself. This layout makes manual exposure adjustment quick and intuitive - perfect for enthusiasts who want command but not complexity.

The NEX-C3 is more restrained; its rangefinder style and smaller size mean fewer dedicated controls on the top. Adjustments are mostly through the rear dial and menus. Sony's approach caters better to beginners or those comfortable with digital menus but can frustrate traditionalists accustomed to physical dials. Also, no electronic viewfinder (EVF) means dependent on the rear LCD for composition.

If you value quick physical access to exposure settings, LX100 II nails it. For a lighter setup with fewer menus, the NEX-C3 works but feels a bit barebones compared to modern standards.

Sensor Technology: Battle of Four Thirds vs APS-C

Arguably one of the most critical components for image quality is the sensor. Larger sensors generally yield better image quality, especially in challenging light.

The Panasonic LX100 II features a 17-megapixel Four Thirds sensor (17.3 x 13 mm) with a sensor area of approximately 225 sq mm. Though smaller than APS-C, it’s coupled with an exceptionally fast lens, giving it impressive low-light flexibility. It also supports RAW shooting, has good dynamic range, and no anti-aliasing filter - ideal for retaining detail.

By contrast, the Sony NEX-C3 houses a larger APS-C sensor (23.4 x 15.6 mm, about 365 sq mm) with 16 megapixels. APS-C sensors generally outperform Four Thirds sensors in noise control and dynamic range, especially at higher ISOs. The NEX-C3 scores well on older DxOMark tests with a score of 73 and respectable color depth and dynamic range values for its class-era.

In practice, the Panasonic’s sensor paired with the fast lens produces lovely skin tones and smooth bokeh in portraits, despite fewer megapixels. Meanwhile, the Sony, with its greater sensor real estate, better handles high-contrast scenes and produces sharper images for cropping and large prints - especially landscapes and studio shots.

If ultimate image quality and versatility with interchangeable lenses are your priority, Sony’s APS-C wins here. However, the LX100 II’s sensor optimization and lens speed bridge the gap surprisingly well for its size.

Navigating the Screens: Composing Your Shots with Confidence

A camera’s screen affects how you frame, review, and adjust settings - crucial when an EVF is absent or if you shoot regularly from odd angles.

The LX100 II’s 3.0-inch touchscreen LCD is fixed and sports 1240k dots, a high enough resolution for crisp previews even on sunny days. The touchscreen interface allows tap-to-focus and faster menu navigation. Combined with the built-in 2760k-dot electronic viewfinder, it offers flexibility to shoot comfortably in varied lighting as well as compose through an eye-level window.

By contrast, the Sony NEX-C3 has a 3.0-inch tilting TFT LCD at 920k dots, decent but less detailed. It lacks touchscreen functionality and an EVF, which can make use under bright sunlight or action shooting more challenging. The tilting screen is a plus for creative angles but doesn’t fully substitute for an EVF’s clarity and stability.

Personally, I find the LX100 II’s EVF plus touchscreen combo indispensable for street and travel photography, where quick focus lock and discreet shooting matter. The Sony feels more like an older design: functional but missing modern usability improvements.

Real-World Sample Images: Sharpness, Color, and Overall Rendering

Numbers on paper are great, but sample images convey true character. Check out these side-by-side shots highlighting how each camera handles color, detail, and bokeh.

Panasonic LX100 II front Panasonic LX100 II screen back Sony NEX C3 front Sony NEX C3 screen back

• Portraits: The LX100 II’s lens and Four Thirds sensor offer beautiful skin tone rendition with slightly smoother out-of-focus backgrounds thanks to its f/1.7 aperture at wide angle. The Sony NEX-C3 produces sharper edge-to-edge images but its f/3.5 kit lens (if using standard zoom) tends to create harder bokeh, so portraits feel more clinical.

• Landscapes: The NEX-C3 shines in dynamic range and resolution, useful when pulling shadow detail from RAW files. Fine textures like foliage and rock surfaces appear crisper, largely thanks to sensor size and the quality of Sony E-mount lenses.

• Low light: Panasonic’s faster lens allows doubling shutter speeds and/or lower ISO, so noise looks cleaner when handheld. The Sony trailblazes at higher ISOs once you zoom in, but its f/3.5–5.6 lens options require stronger lighting or higher ISO settings.

Autofocus and Burst Performance: Tracking Your Fast-Moving Subjects

A smooth autofocus (AF) system and good frame rates are vital for wildlife, sports, or street photography - where timing means never missing “the shot.”

The LX100 II boasts a contrast-detection AF system with 49 focus points and face detection, including continuous AF and tracking modes. It manages an impressive 11 fps burst shooting rate, albeit with buffer limitations. Although contrast-detect isn’t as snappy as phase detection, it performs well indoors and in well-lit environments. However, there is no animal eye AF, so wildlife shooters may feel constrained.

The NEX-C3 uses contrast-detection AF with 25 focus points, but unfortunately, it doesn’t support continuous AF tracking as well, and its burst rate is limited to 6 fps. Face detection isn’t as reliable or quick. This makes Sony’s camera less adept at capturing action compared to the LX100 II, despite its larger sensor.

If your photography leans towards wildlife or sports with fast autofocus needs and rapid bursts, the LX100 II has the edge here, despite being a fixed-lens compact.

Specialized Photography Uses: Macro, Night, and Video

Let’s tackle some niche but popular photography types:

• Macro: The Panasonic LX100 II can focus within 3cm, providing decent close-up performance. Its optical image stabilization decreases shake, which is especially helpful at slower shutter speeds. The Sony lacks notable macro features unless you invest in specialized macro lenses.

• Night and Astro: LX100 II maxes native ISO at 25600, while Sony tops out at 12800. In real-world testing, Panasonic’s sensor noise control at high ISO is quite good, but the smaller sensor size limits light capture compared to Sony’s APS-C. Neither has special astro modes, but manual control on Panasonic is easier to dial in.

• Video: Panasonic boasts 4K UHD video at 30 fps with efficient encoding (H.264, MP4) at high bitrates (100 Mbps), making it a solid choice for casual videographers. The NEX-C3 records only up to 720p HD video, which feels dated today. Neither has mic or headphone jacks.

Durability, Battery Life, and Expandability

Neither camera offers weather sealing, dustproofing, or shockproofing, so take care shooting in harsh conditions.

Battery life wise, the Sony NEX-C3 surprises with a longer rated shoot count (~400 shots per charge) compared to Panasonic’s ~340 shots. Though both require extra batteries for prolonged shooting, the LX100 II’s USB charging adds a layer of convenience if you travel.

Storage-wise, both use SD cards, but only Sony broadly supports Memory Stick formats too. Panasonic uses UHS-I speed Class cards for optimal performance.

In terms of lens ecosystems, Sony’s E-mount is a huge advantage with over 120 lenses available, from ultra-wide to super-telephoto and creative primes, giving you room to grow. Panasonic’s LX100 II’s fixed lens limits versatility but ensures premium glass quality and less bulk.

Price Considerations: What Are You Getting for Your Money?

The Panasonic LX100 II retails near $998, situating it as a premium compact camera with large sensor and versatile zoom. The price might feel steep if you’re on a budget but reflects advanced processing (Venus Engine), 4K video, and excellent ergonomics.

The Sony NEX-C3’s price around $343 (used or discounted) is attractive for the cheapskate who wants APS-C sensor quality in a travel-friendly mirrorless body. However, it lacks newer features and has limited video functionality.

How Do These Cameras Stack Up Across Photography Genres?

For more clarity, here’s a camera scores breakdown by genre considering usability, performance, and feature sets:

The Panasonic model fares better in high-speed and video-centric disciplines, while Sony’s strengths lie in raw image quality-rich sports and landscape niches where native lens system versatility matters.

Overall Performance and Value Ratings

When considering overall performance, image quality, speed, and price:

The LX100 II scores around 8.0/10, while the NEX-C3 sits near 6.5/10 by contemporary standards. Yet, recognize that the NEX-C3, coming from 2011, was trailblazing back then and remains a viable budget mirrorless choice today.

Who Should Buy the Panasonic LX100 II?

You want:

• A compact camera with near-DSLR manual controls on dials
• Superb image quality from a fast 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 lens
• Solid 4K video in a lightweight, travel-friendly package
• A built-in electronic viewfinder for precise framing
• Good low-light autofocus and 11 fps continuous shooting

You should skip it if:

• You crave interchangeable lens flexibility
• Need built-in flash or advanced weather sealing
• Mic input for professional video recording is a must

Who Should Consider the Sony NEX-C3?

You want:

• An affordable entry into APS-C mirrorless photography
• A wide range of lenses available at modest prices
• Decent image quality for portraits and landscapes
• Lightweight, pocketable camera body
• Basic HD video capture and easy flash connectivity

You should skip it if:

• You’re hunting for the latest tech or 4K video
• Fast autofocus and high burst rates are priorities
• You want touchscreen controls or built-in EVF

Final Thoughts: Which Camera Fits Your Needs Best?

Even though the Panasonic LX100 II is pricier, it offers a balanced package that many enthusiasts will appreciate: excellent lenses, faster autofocus, 4K video, and tactile controls packed into a fairly compact body.

The Sony NEX-C3 remains a solid budget option if you’re entering the mirrorless world and want access to Sony’s E-mount lenses but expect compromises in speed, video, and modern handling.

Ultimately, your choice boils down to what kind of photography you do most often and your budget. For serious travel, street, and video-centric work, LX100 II is a powerhouse with fewer compromises. For beginners building a system and buying lenses gradually while keeping costs low, NEX-C3 still holds value.

Feel free to ask if you want lens recommendations or ideas on how to get the most out of either camera! I’ve tested both extensively and would be happy to share some creative shooting tips.

Happy clicking!

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