Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560
89 Imaging
54 Features
55 Overall
54


96 Imaging
37 Features
28 Overall
33
Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
- Announced June 2010
- Replacement is Sony NEX-C3
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 26-104mm (F2.7-5.7) lens
- 110g - 94 x 56 x 19mm
- Introduced January 2011

Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560 Overview
Below is a in-depth analysis of the Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Ultracompact and both of them are designed by Sony. The image resolution of the NEX-3 (14MP) and the W560 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the NEX-3 (APS-C) and W560 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor measurements.

The NEX-3 was brought out 7 months prior to the W560 and they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras feature different body design with the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W560 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick overview of how the NEX-3 matches up versus the W560 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha NEX-3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W560. The entire galleries are provided at Sony NEX-3 Gallery and Sony W560 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Sony W560
NEX-3 | W560 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focusing | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+690k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony W560 over the Sony NEX-3
W560 | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | January 2011 | ![]() | June 2010 | More recent by 7 months |
Common features in the Sony NEX-3 and Sony W560
NEX-3 | W560 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same display measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither provides selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Neither provides Touch display |
Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Sony NEX-3 provides physical dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs) whilst the Sony W560 has proportions of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).
See the Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the NEX-3 vs the W560.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the NEX-3 and W560 is 89 and 96 respectively.

Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is hard to see the gap between sensor measurements merely by checking specifications. The visual here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the NEX-3 and W560.
To sum up, the 2 cameras come with the identical MP but not the same sensor measurements. The NEX-3 contains the larger sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field less difficult. The older NEX-3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W560 Specifications
Sony Alpha NEX-3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W560 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Sony | Sony |
Model | Sony Alpha NEX-3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W560 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Ultracompact |
Announced | 2010-06-07 | 2011-01-06 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Ultracompact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | Bionz | BIONZ |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | APS-C | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 23.4 x 15.6mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 365.0mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4592 x 3056 | 4320 x 3240 |
Max native ISO | 12800 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 80 |
RAW data | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 25 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Sony E | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 26-104mm (4.0x) |
Maximum aperture | - | f/2.7-5.7 |
Macro focus range | - | 5cm |
Number of lenses | 121 | - |
Crop factor | 1.5 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 920 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Screen tech | TFT Xtra Fine LCD | Clear Photo LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30s | 2s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/1600s |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.0 frames per sec | 1.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 12.00 m | 3.80 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/160s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4 | MPEG-4 |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 297 gr (0.65 lbs) | 110 gr (0.24 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") | 94 x 56 x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 68 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.1 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.0 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 830 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 images | - |
Battery style | Battery Pack | - |
Battery model | NPFW50 | NP-BN1 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | One | One |
Pricing at launch | $0 | $139 |