Sony A230 vs Sony NEX-3

The following is a in depth review of the Sony A230 and Sony NEX-3, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are manufactured by Sony. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the A230 (10MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor size (APS-C).

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The A230 was unveiled 12 months before the NEX-3 and they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a short overview of how the A230 scores versus the NEX-3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The full galleries are available at Sony A230 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Sony A230 offers outside measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3 has specifications of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Take a look at the Sony A230 and Sony NEX-3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the A230 versus the NEX-3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A230 and NEX-3 is 69 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions purely by checking out technical specs. The image below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the A230 and NEX-3.

As you can tell, each of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Sony NEX-3 to produce more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged A230 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.