Sony NEX-C3 vs Sony S930

Its time to look closer at the Sony NEX-C3 vs Sony S930, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both designed by Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the NEX-C3 (16MP) and S930 (10MP) and the NEX-C3 (APS-C) and S930 (1/2.3") use different sensor size.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The NEX-C3 was manufactured 2 years later than the S930 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony S930 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a short introduction of how the NEX-C3 scores versus the S930 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha NEX-C3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S930. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony NEX-C3 Gallery & Sony S930 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Sony NEX-C3 has external measurements of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony S930 has measurements of 90mm x 61mm x 26mm (3.5" x 2.4" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Look at the Sony NEX-C3 vs Sony S930 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the NEX-C3 and the S930.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the NEX-C3 and S930 is 91 and 94 respectively.

Often, it's tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements purely by viewing specifications. The graphic here may give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the NEX-C3 and S930.

To sum up, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The NEX-C3 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony NEX-C3 will render more detail due to its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images far more aggressively. The newer NEX-C3 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.