Sony NEX-3 vs Sony RX1R II

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Sony NEX-3 and Sony RX1R II, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both are manufactured by Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the NEX-3 (14MP) and RX1R II (42MP) and the NEX-3 (APS-C) and RX1R II (Full frame) use totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The NEX-3 was released 6 years prior to the RX1R II and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony RX1R II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise summary of how the NEX-3 scores versus the RX1R II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha NEX-3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II. The complete galleries are available at Sony NEX-3 Gallery and Sony RX1R II Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera often, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-3 offers physical measurements of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs) while the Sony RX1R II has sizing of 113mm x 65mm x 72mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 507 grams (1.12 lbs).

Compare the Sony NEX-3 and Sony RX1R II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the NEX-3 versus the RX1R II.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-3 and RX1R II is 89 and 78 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by checking out specs. The visual underneath will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the NEX-3 and RX1R II.

All in all, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The NEX-3 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony RX1R II will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 28 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older NEX-3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.