Sony NEX-3 vs Sony A99

Let's look more in depth at the Sony NEX-3 vs Sony A99, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR and they are both offered by Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the NEX-3 (14MP) and A99 (24MP) and the NEX-3 (APS-C) and A99 (Full frame) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The NEX-3 was released 3 years before the A99 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the NEX-3 matches up against the A99 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha NEX-3 & Sony SLT-A99. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony NEX-3 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Sony NEX-3 enjoys outer 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 A99 has sizing of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") along with a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Check out the Sony NEX-3 vs Sony A99 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the NEX-3 against the A99.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the NEX-3 and A99 is 89 and 57 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements merely by researching specs. The graphic below might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the NEX-3 and A99.

All in all, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The NEX-3 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF harder and the Sony A99 will render more detail as a result of its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older NEX-3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.