Sony NEX-3N vs Sony HX1

The following is a detailed analysis of the Sony NEX-3N and Sony HX1, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are designed by Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the NEX-3N (16MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the NEX-3N (APS-C) and HX1 (1/2.4") come with different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The NEX-3N was introduced 3 years after the HX1 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise summation of how the NEX-3N scores against the HX1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha NEX-3N and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The whole galleries are available at Sony NEX-3N Gallery and Sony HX1 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Sony NEX-3N offers outer measurements of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Sony HX1 has dimensions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") and a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

See the Sony NEX-3N and Sony HX1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the NEX-3N compared to the HX1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-3N and HX1 is 89 and 67 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to picture the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading specs. The image below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the NEX-3N and HX1.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The NEX-3N with its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony NEX-3N will offer you extra detail using its extra 7 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The newer NEX-3N provides an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.