Sony A380 vs Sony NEX-C3
68 Imaging
53 Features
54 Overall
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91 Imaging
56 Features
57 Overall
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Sony A380 vs Sony NEX-C3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 225g - 110 x 60 x 33mm
- Announced August 2011
- Old Model is Sony NEX-3
- Refreshed by Sony NEX-F3
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Following is a comprehensive review of the Sony A380 versus Sony NEX-C3, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both designed by Sony. The image resolution of the A380 (14MP) and the NEX-C3 (16MP) is relatively close and both cameras boast the same sensor size (APS-C).
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe A380 was introduced 24 months earlier than the NEX-C3 which makes them a generation away from each other. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a concise overview of how the A380 matches up against the NEX-C3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Photography Glossary Sony A380 vs Sony NEX-C3 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 & Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The whole galleries are available at Sony A380 Gallery & Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony A380 over the Sony NEX-C3
| A380 | NEX-C3 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-C3 over the Sony A380
| NEX-C3 | A380 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | August 2011 | August 2009 | More modern by 24 months | |
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 920k | 230k | Clearer screen (+690k dot) |
Common features in the Sony A380 and Sony NEX-C3
| A380 | NEX-C3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Very precise focus | |||
| Screen type | Tilting | Tilting | Tilting screen | |
| Selfie screen | Absent selfie screen | |||
| Touch screen | Neither contains Touch screen |
Sony A380 vs Sony NEX-C3 Physical Comparison
If you are going to carry around your camera, you will want to factor its weight and size. The Sony A380 has got outer measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-C3 has specifications of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).
Check out the Sony A380 versus Sony NEX-C3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the A380 vs the NEX-C3.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the A380 and NEX-C3 is 68 and 91 respectively.
Sony A380 vs Sony NEX-C3 Sensor Comparison
Often, it can be tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by looking through technical specs. The pic here will give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the A380 and NEX-C3.
As you have seen, the two cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You can count on the Sony NEX-C3 to provide you with extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged A380 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.
Sony A380 vs Sony NEX-C3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Sony A380 vs Sony NEX-C3 Specifications
| Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 | Sony Alpha NEX-C3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Sony | Sony |
| Model | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 | Sony Alpha NEX-C3 |
| Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2009-08-24 | 2011-08-22 |
| Physical type | Compact SLR | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | Bionz | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 23.6 x 15.8mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 372.9mm² | 365.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 14MP | 16MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 4592 x 3056 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW format | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect focusing | ||
| Contract detect focusing | ||
| Phase detect focusing | ||
| Number of focus points | 9 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Sony/Minolta Alpha | Sony E |
| Total lenses | 143 | 121 |
| Crop factor | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Tilting | Tilting |
| Display size | 2.7 inch | 3 inch |
| Resolution of display | 230 thousand dots | 920 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display tech | - | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | None |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95% | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.49x | - |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames/s | 6.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/160 secs | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
| Video file format | - | MPEG-4 |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| 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 sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 519g (1.14 pounds) | 225g (0.50 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 128 x 97 x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") | 110 x 60 x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | 67 | 73 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 22.6 | 22.7 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 11.8 | 12.2 |
| DXO Low light score | 614 | 1083 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 500 photos | 400 photos |
| Battery type | 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 | ||
| Storage type | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Price at release | $899 | $343 |