Samsung HZ10W vs Sony NEX-3

Following is a in-depth review of the Samsung HZ10W versus Sony NEX-3, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Samsung and Sony. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the HZ10W (10MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) and the HZ10W (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The HZ10W was manufactured 12 months prior to the NEX-3 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Samsung HZ10W being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a brief view of how the HZ10W scores against the NEX-3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Samsung HZ10W & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are viewable at Samsung HZ10W Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera often, you will have to think about its weight and volume. The Samsung HZ10W has exterior measurements of 105mm x 61mm x 37mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") along with a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has sizing of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Analyze the Samsung HZ10W versus Sony NEX-3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the HZ10W against the NEX-3.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the HZ10W and NEX-3 is 90 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to see the gap between sensor sizes only by reading through a spec sheet. The picture below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the HZ10W and NEX-3.

Clearly, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The HZ10W due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-3 will give greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged HZ10W is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.