Sony NEX-3 vs Sony A35

Here is a in depth assessment of the Sony NEX-3 and Sony A35, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and both are built by Sony. The sensor resolution of the NEX-3 (14MP) and the A35 (16MP) is pretty similar and they use the same exact sensor size (APS-C).

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The NEX-3 was revealed 15 months earlier than the A35 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A35 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the NEX-3 grades against the A35 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha NEX-3 & Sony SLT-A35. The full galleries are provided at Sony NEX-3 Gallery & Sony A35 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-3 has external dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs) whilst the Sony A35 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 415 grams (0.91 lbs).

Look at the Sony NEX-3 and Sony A35 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the NEX-3 versus the A35.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the NEX-3 and A35 is 89 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading a spec sheet. The graphic here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the NEX-3 and A35.

Clearly, both of those cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same megapixels. You can expect the Sony A35 to deliver more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older NEX-3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.