Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3

Below is a thorough assessment of the Sony A290 versus Sony NEX-F3, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are designed by Sony. The image resolution of the A290 (14MP) and the NEX-F3 (16MP) is pretty well matched and they use the same exact sensor measurements (APS-C).

Photography Glossary

The A290 was released 3 years before the NEX-F3 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-F3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short overview of how the A290 scores against the NEX-F3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 and Sony Alpha NEX-F3. The complete galleries are available at Sony A290 Gallery and Sony NEX-F3 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Sony A290 features external dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) and the Sony NEX-F3 has dimensions of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A290 versus Sony NEX-F3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the A290 against the NEX-F3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A290 and NEX-F3 is 66 and 86 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to see the difference between sensor measurements just by looking at specs. The visual below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the A290 and NEX-F3.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same MP. You should expect the Sony NEX-F3 to give more detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older A290 is going to be behind in sensor tech.