Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-3

Below is a detailed assessment of the Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-3, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are created by Sony. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) and the A850 (Full frame) and NEX-3 (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The A850 was brought out within a month of the NEX-3 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief summary of how the A850 scores against the NEX-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are available at Sony A850 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Sony A850 enjoys physical measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") having a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3 has proportions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A850 vs Sony NEX-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the A850 and the NEX-3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the A850 and NEX-3 is 54 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to visualize the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading specs. The visual here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the A850 and NEX-3.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The A850 featuring a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony A850 will deliver more detail having its extra 11MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively.