Sony NEX-3 vs Sony ZV-1

Lets look a bit more closely at the Sony NEX-3 and Sony ZV-1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both are sold by Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the NEX-3 (14MP) and ZV-1 (20MP) and the NEX-3 (APS-C) and ZV-1 (1") offer different sensor measurements.

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The NEX-3 was unveiled 11 years before the ZV-1 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony ZV-1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple summary of how the NEX-3 scores vs the ZV-1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha NEX-3 and Sony ZV-1. The full galleries are provided at Sony NEX-3 Gallery and Sony ZV-1 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and measurements. The Sony NEX-3 offers external measurements of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs) while the Sony ZV-1 has proportions of 105mm x 60mm x 44mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.7") and a weight of 294 grams (0.65 lbs).

Analyze the Sony NEX-3 and Sony ZV-1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is a front view size comparison of the NEX-3 vs the ZV-1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the NEX-3 and ZV-1 is 89 and 88 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to picture the gap between sensor sizes simply by reviewing specifications. The picture here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the NEX-3 and ZV-1.

To sum up, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The NEX-3 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Sony ZV-1 will offer extra detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged NEX-3 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.