Sony A390 vs Sony NEX-C3

Here is a complete assessment of the Sony A390 and Sony NEX-C3, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are offered by Sony. The image resolution of the A390 (14MP) and the NEX-C3 (16MP) is fairly well matched and they enjoy the same exact sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The A390 was brought out 13 months earlier than the NEX-C3 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras offer different body type with the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the A390 matches up versus the NEX-C3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 & Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The entire galleries are available at Sony A390 Gallery & Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Sony A390 features physical measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Sony NEX-C3 has proportions of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check the Sony A390 and Sony NEX-C3 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the A390 against the NEX-C3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the A390 and NEX-C3 is 66 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to picture the gap between sensor sizing just by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the A390 and NEX-C3.

Clearly, each of the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different resolution. You can anticipate the Sony NEX-C3 to give you more detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older A390 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.