Sony NEX-3 vs Sony HX90V

Lets examine more closely at the Sony NEX-3 and Sony HX90V, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Sony. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the NEX-3 (14MP) and HX90V (18MP) and the NEX-3 (APS-C) and HX90V (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The NEX-3 was announced 5 years before the HX90V which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX90V being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the NEX-3 scores versus the HX90V when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha NEX-3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony NEX-3 Gallery and Sony HX90V Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Sony NEX-3 has physical measurements of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs) while the Sony HX90V has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Check the Sony NEX-3 and Sony HX90V in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the NEX-3 versus the HX90V.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-3 and HX90V is 89 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes merely by looking at a spec sheet. The pic below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the NEX-3 and HX90V.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The NEX-3 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony HX90V will give greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures much more aggressively. The more aged NEX-3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.