Sony NEX-C3

Sony NEX-C3 is Sony's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera first released on August of 2011. The camera has got a 16MP, CMOS APS-C sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4912 x 3264.

Sony released this camera in an effort to improve the previous Sony NEX-3 (Read Full Comparison) & afterwards released the newer Sony NEX-F3 (Read Full Comparison) as a way to improve this model.

The NEX-C3 stands at #78 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras & all round #361 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. Remember to try our Smart camera search to get camera rankings based on your custom requirements.

Here is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

The Sony NEX-C3 has a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can see all past and current models alongside key specifications.

You can see the NEX-C3 from several angles in the gallery underneath.

Below is a collection of good and bad points of the Sony NEX-C3 based on features which are often viewed as important in a camera.

The Sony NEX-C3 features the Bionz chip. The specification of the sensor in the Sony NEX-C3 is 23.4mm x 15.6mm (APS-C). The 365 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4912 x 3264 pixels at aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.

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The CMOS sensor has 16MP and provides a native ISO range of 100 - 12800. RAW files are supported which means that you have wider room to maneuver in post.

The picture underneath shows the NEX-C3's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The NEX-C3 sensor has a crop factor of 1.5 and is shown in green.

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To get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Sony NEX-C3 weighs about 0.50 lb (225 gr / 7.94 oz) & has exterior dimensions of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3"). The weight of normal Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 gr so the Sony NEX-C3 is lighter compared with its competitors.

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Here is a shot of the Sony NEX-C3 with a softdrink so you're able to get a feel for its scale.

The top view under will show you the button arrangement on the NEX-C3.

The NEX-C3 uses the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses on sale. Below is some of the lenses we have in our database which will work with the NEX-C3.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Sony FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS70-200mmf/4.0 840g

Fujinon MK 50-135mm T2.950-135mmf/2.8980g

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Sigma 19mm F2.8 EX DN19mmf/2.8 140g

Tokina atx-m 56mm F1.4 E56mmf/1.4 315g

Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS24-105mmf/4 663g

Sony 20mm F1.8G20mmf/1.8373g

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Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Carl Zeiss Sonnar T55mmf/1.8 281g

The NEX-C3 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes

Cameras that come with NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can easily be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You can easily copy photos and oftentimes change camera settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Several applications even enable a Liveview and click the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI port, it could be attached to an external monitor. Nearly all cameras enable you to charge the battery with the USB socket.

The maximum video quality in the Sony NEX-C3 is 1280 x 720 and you can capture in MPEG-4 format. 720p is low for today's standards. You should really go for a minimum 1080p quality for decent video. The camera doesn't feature a microphone and / or headphone jack which means you have got no control over the audio. It is probably best to have a look at a different model should you want decent audio for your video clips.

Sony NEX-C3 doesn't include weather proofing so rainy conditions can easily affect the camera.

The Sony NEX-C3 has got a 3 inch tilting display screen boasting a resolution of 920 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the display screen is not a touch screen.

Photography Glossary

The ViewFinder specifications for Sony NEX-C3 are below:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are really useful during sunny outdoor conditions which will make the camera display washed out and hard to see.

Sony NEX-C3 has the capability to shoot continuously at 6.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000 sec.

Sony NEX-C3 comes with external flash ability but is without in-built flash. The highest flash sync is 1/160 sec.

Sony NEX-C3 comes with just Contrast Detect Auto Focus & does not have Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more quicker & exact compared with Contrast Detect autofocusing.

The AF system has got 25 focus points to choose from. Sony NEX-C3 has got manual focus in case it is required during low light conditions or you need more exact focus control.

The battery (NPFW50) on the Sony NEX-C3 is designed to last for 400 shutters according to the CIPA standards making it higher than the usual for its class. The general Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 has the highest possible (750) battery life within this kind of cameras.

Here is a number of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras which have the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X-S20
NEX-C3 vs X-S20750 yesnoyes

Samsung NX mini
NEX-C3 vs NX mini650 yesnono

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Pentax K-01
NEX-C3 vs K-01540 yesnono

Sony NEX-3N
NEX-C3 vs NEX-3N480 yesnono

Sony NEX-F3
NEX-C3 vs NEX-F3470 yesnono

The following diagram presents a overview of the Sony NEX-C3 for varying categories of photography. To read more, visit the specific paragraph underneath.

The Sony NEX-C3 receives a points tally of 73 which is above average, and means the camera is a fine pick for portrait images. Taking portrait images favors greatly towards sensor resolution, support for RAW files together with the flexibility to work with external lighting.

Getting a great score of 79, the Sony NEX-C3 is a wonderful option to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera features a fine balance of image quality and portability.

A average sports photography points total of 53 indicates the Sony NEX-C3 is somewhat acceptable for shooting sports. A camera needs excellent autofocus plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Weight is pretty important when selecting a camera for travel. On the whole, the Sony NEX-C3 gets a nice 71 as a travel camera which is a fine option to purchase for your trips.

For anyone looking to purchase a camera for landscape photos, the most significant aspect is going to be image quality. The Sony NEX-C3 with it's very good rating of 70 as a landscape camera is a fine option in the current market.

A vlogging camera preferably should posses a articulating display, microphone input and preferably image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Sony NEX-C3 is just not suitable for vlogging as it delivers a terrible score of 27.

If you are in the market for alternatives to the NEX-C3, below is a number of the top placed cameras that fall within the category of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The graph here offers you a summary of the NEX-C3 compared to it's top scored competitors suggested above.

Following are additional cameras you may take into account as alternative options. To read through a thorough comparison, click the "compare" link.