Pentax P80 vs Sony NEX-3

Below is a extended overview of the Pentax P80 versus Sony NEX-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the P80 (12MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the P80 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

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The P80 was introduced 10 months prior to the NEX-3 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the P80 scores versus the NEX-3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax Optio P80 and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are provided at Pentax P80 Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Pentax P80 enjoys exterior measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3 has measurements of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Examine the Pentax P80 versus Sony NEX-3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have during that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the P80 against the NEX-3.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the P80 and NEX-3 is 95 and 89 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements only by going through specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the P80 and NEX-3.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The P80 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony NEX-3 will produce more detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older P80 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.