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Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3

Portability
66
Imaging
54
Features
47
Overall
51
Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-F3 front
Portability
86
Imaging
57
Features
60
Overall
58

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 Key Specs

Sony A290
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
  • Launched June 2010
  • Replaced the Sony A230
Sony NEX-F3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 314g - 117 x 67 x 42mm
  • Revealed August 2012
  • Succeeded the Sony NEX-C3
  • Refreshed by Sony NEX-3N
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Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 Overview

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).

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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.

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Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Sony NEX-F3

 A290 NEX-F3 

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-F3 over the Sony A290

 NEX-F3 A290 
RevealedAugust 2012June 2010More recent by 26 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen sizing3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution920k230kSharper screen (+690k dot)

Common features in the Sony A290 and Sony NEX-F3

 A290 NEX-F3 
Focus manually Very precise focusing
Selfie screen Neither includes selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Missing Touch friendly screen

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 Physical Comparison

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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 size comparison

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

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 top view buttons comparison

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 Sensor Comparison

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.

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 sensor size comparison

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A290 Portrait photography information
Sony NEX-F3 Portrait photography information
65
you can focus manually
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
offers face detect autofocus
supports RAW formats
no liveview
74
manual focus
decent MP (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Sony A290
Street photography with Sony NEX-F3
66
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
no articulating screen
76
tilting screen
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
does not have image stabilization
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Sony A290 Sports photography features
Sony NEX-F3 Sports photography features
55
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
has phase detect autofocus
no liveview
max fps low (3.0 frames/s)
bad battery pack (290 per charge)
53
decent MP (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
good battery power (470 CIPA)
max fps very slow (6.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Sony A290 Travel photography features
Sony NEX-F3 Travel photography features
53
megapixel count decent (14MP)
built-in flash
lack of Time Lapse recording
bad battery pack (290 per charge)
screen is not selfie friendly
69
good battery power (470 CIPA)
decent MP (16MP)
flash built-in
no Timelapse function
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Sony A290
Landscape photography with Sony NEX-F3
58
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
screen is small (2.7")
no liveview
bad battery pack (290 per charge)
lack of Time Lapse recording
70
manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
good battery power (470 per charge)
does not have image stabilization
no Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A290 Vlogging factors
Sony NEX-F3 Vlogging factors
9
can't record video
27
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
no external microphone port
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Sony A290 vs Sony NEX-F3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A290 and Sony NEX-F3
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A290Sony Alpha NEX-F3
General Information
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 Sony Alpha NEX-F3
Class Entry-Level DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Launched 2010-06-09 2012-08-16
Body design Compact SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Powered by Bionz Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor measurements 23.5 x 15.7mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 369.0mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 14MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4592 x 3056 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 3200 16000
Minimum native ISO 100 200
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 9 25
Lens
Lens mounting type Sony/Minolta Alpha Sony E
Number of lenses 143 121
Crop factor 1.5 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 2.7 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 230k dot 920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen tech - TFT Xtra Fine LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.55x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 3.0fps 6.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 10.00 m (at ISO 100) -
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/160 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
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 seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 549 gr (1.21 lb) 314 gr (0.69 lb)
Dimensions 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") 117 x 67 x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 66 73
DXO Color Depth score 22.6 22.7
DXO Dynamic range score 11.5 12.3
DXO Low light score 615 1114
Other
Battery life 290 images 470 images
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-FH50 NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots One One
Cost at launch $600 $470