Sony NEX-3 vs Sony WX70

On this page, we are contrasting the Sony NEX-3 and Sony WX70, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both created by Sony. The sensor resolution of the NEX-3 (14MP) and the WX70 (16MP) is very comparable but the NEX-3 (APS-C) and WX70 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The NEX-3 was revealed 20 months prior to the WX70 making them a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony WX70 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the NEX-3 grades against the WX70 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha NEX-3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70. The full galleries are available at Sony NEX-3 Gallery and Sony WX70 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Sony NEX-3 features physical dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs) whilst the Sony WX70 has dimensions of 92mm x 52mm x 19mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.7") with a weight of 114 grams (0.25 lbs).

See the Sony NEX-3 and Sony WX70 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the NEX-3 and the WX70.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-3 and WX70 is 89 and 97 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements purely by seeing specs. The visual below should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the NEX-3 and WX70.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The NEX-3 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Sony WX70 will produce more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos more aggressively. The older NEX-3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.