Sony A500 vs Sony NEX-C3

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Sony A500 vs Sony NEX-C3, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are produced by Sony. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the A500 (12MP) and NEX-C3 (16MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor size (APS-C).

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The A500 was unveiled 24 months before the NEX-C3 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the A500 grades against the NEX-C3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 and Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The full galleries are available at Sony A500 Gallery and Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Sony A500 comes with outer dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs) and the Sony NEX-C3 has sizing of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A500 vs Sony NEX-C3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the A500 against the NEX-C3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A500 and NEX-C3 is 63 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements merely by looking at specs. The graphic below will provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the A500 and NEX-C3.

All in all, both cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different MP. You should expect the Sony NEX-C3 to resolve greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs way more aggressively. The older A500 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.