Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3
93 Imaging
37 Features
30 Overall
34


91 Imaging
56 Features
57 Overall
56
Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-110mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
- Released March 2011
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 225g - 110 x 60 x 33mm
- Launched August 2011
- Earlier Model is Sony NEX-3
- Replacement is Sony NEX-F3

Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3 Overview
Below is a thorough review of the Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the RS1500 (14MP) and the NEX-C3 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the RS1500 (1/2.3") and NEX-C3 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

The RS1500 was manufactured 5 months earlier than the NEX-C3 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax RS1500 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before we go right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple summation of how the RS1500 grades versus the NEX-C3 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Optio RS1500 and Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The entire galleries are available at Pentax RS1500 Gallery and Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax RS1500 over the Sony NEX-C3
RS1500 | NEX-C3 |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-C3 over the Pentax RS1500
NEX-C3 | RS1500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+690k dot) |
Common features in the Pentax RS1500 and Sony NEX-C3
RS1500 | NEX-C3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | March 2011 | ![]() | August 2011 | Similar generation |
Focus manually | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither includes selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Missing Touch friendly display |
Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3 Physical Comparison
If you are going to lug around your camera, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Pentax RS1500 features physical dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Sony NEX-C3 has specifications of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).
Check out the Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you choose at that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the RS1500 against the NEX-C3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the RS1500 and NEX-C3 is 93 and 91 respectively.

Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it can be difficult to see the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through a spec sheet. The visual underneath will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the RS1500 and NEX-C3.
Clearly, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The RS1500 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony NEX-C3 will give you greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos more aggressively.

Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax RS1500 vs Sony NEX-C3 Specifications
Pentax Optio RS1500 | Sony Alpha NEX-C3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Pentax | Sony |
Model | Pentax Optio RS1500 | Sony Alpha NEX-C3 |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Released | 2011-03-16 | 2011-08-22 |
Physical type | Compact | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 4912 x 3264 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
Minimum native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 9 | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony E |
Lens focal range | 28-110mm (3.9x) | - |
Maximal aperture | f/3.5-5.5 | - |
Macro focus distance | 1cm | - |
Amount of lenses | - | 121 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Display diagonal | 2.7" | 3" |
Display resolution | 230 thousand dots | 920 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display tech | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 4 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/1500 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter rate | 1.0 frames per sec | 6.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 3.90 m | no built-in flash |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | - | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4 |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 157 grams (0.35 pounds) | 225 grams (0.50 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 110 x 60 x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | 73 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 22.7 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 12.2 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 1083 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 260 shots | 400 shots |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | D-LI92 | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at release | $150 | $343 |