Sony NEX-3 vs Sony W650

Its time to take a deeper look at the Sony NEX-3 versus Sony W650, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are designed by Sony. The resolution of the NEX-3 (14MP) and the W650 (16MP) is relatively well matched but the NEX-3 (APS-C) and W650 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizes.

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The NEX-3 was launched 19 months earlier than the W650 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W650 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a more detailed comparison, below is a simple view of how the NEX-3 grades against the W650 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha NEX-3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W650. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony NEX-3 Gallery and Sony W650 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Sony NEX-3 has got physical dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs) while the Sony W650 has specifications of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 124 grams (0.27 lbs).

Contrast the Sony NEX-3 versus Sony W650 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the NEX-3 against the W650.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the NEX-3 and W650 is 89 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements purely by checking specifications. The graphic here should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the NEX-3 and W650.

Plainly, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The NEX-3 due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony W650 will give greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older NEX-3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.