Sony A380 vs Sony NEX-3N

Its time to look more closely at the Sony A380 versus Sony NEX-3N, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both offered by Sony. The image resolution of the A380 (14MP) and the NEX-3N (16MP) is very well matched and both cameras offer the same sensor size (APS-C).

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The A380 was brought out 4 years prior to the NEX-3N which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a concise summary of how the A380 grades against the NEX-3N with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 and Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The entire galleries are available at Sony A380 Gallery and Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Sony A380 provides external measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3N has measurements of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

See the Sony A380 versus Sony NEX-3N in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the A380 versus the NEX-3N.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the A380 and NEX-3N is 68 and 89 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizes just by checking a spec sheet. The picture below will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the A380 and NEX-3N.

As you can see, each of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different resolution. You should expect to see the Sony NEX-3N to resolve greater detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged A380 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.