Ricoh CX4 vs Sony NEX-3

Lets examine more closely at the Ricoh CX4 vs Sony NEX-3, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Ricoh and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the CX4 (10MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) and the CX4 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The CX4 was brought out 3 months later than the NEX-3 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras offer different body type with the Ricoh CX4 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short overview of how the CX4 grades against the NEX-3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Ricoh CX4 and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are viewable at Ricoh CX4 Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Ricoh CX4 has physical dimensions of 102mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has proportions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Check out the Ricoh CX4 vs Sony NEX-3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the CX4 versus the NEX-3.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the CX4 and NEX-3 is 92 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to envision the contrast between sensor measurements purely by checking a spec sheet. The visual here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the CX4 and NEX-3.

As you can see, the two cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The CX4 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Sony NEX-3 will give you more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively.