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Sony NEX-F3

 
Sony Alpha NEX-F3 front
 
Portability
86
Imaging
57
Features
60
Overall
58

Sony NEX-F3 summary

Sony NEX-F3 is Sony's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera originally introduced on August of 2012. The camera comes with a 16MP, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a full resolution of 4912 x 3264.

Sony released this camera in order to replace the older Sony NEX-C3 (Read Full Comparison) & then brought out the fresher Sony NEX-3N (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to update this camera.

The NEX-F3 ranks at #70 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras & over-all #339 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please try out our Smart camera finder to get camera rankings based on your personal criteria.

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The following is a chart of various factors used in the rating system.

Sony NEX-F3 family

The Sony NEX-F3 is part of a family of cameras. You can view the full list below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-Alpha-a5100 front thumbnailSony a5100
NEX-F3 vs a5100
24MPAPS-C6.0 fps2014
Sony-Alpha-a5000 front thumbnailSony a5000
NEX-F3 vs a5000
20MPAPS-C4.0 fps2014
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Sony-Alpha-NEX-5T front thumbnailSony NEX-5T
NEX-F3 vs NEX-5T
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2013
Sony-Alpha-NEX-6 front thumbnailSony NEX-6
NEX-F3 vs NEX-6
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2013
Sony-Alpha-NEX-3N front thumbnailSony NEX-3N
NEX-F3 vs NEX-3N
16MPAPS-C4.0 fps2013
Sony-Alpha-NEX-5R front thumbnailSony NEX-5R
NEX-F3 vs NEX-5R
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2012
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Sony-Alpha-NEX-F3 front thumbnailSony NEX-F316MPAPS-C6.0 fps2012

Sony NEX-F3 Pros and Cons

Here is a selection of pluses and minuses of the Sony NEX-F3 based on criterias that are normally regarded as important in a camera.

built-in flash
delivers RAW formats
good battery life (470 per charge)
good MP (16 megapixels)
has HDMI port
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
manual focus
screen size is good (3 inch)
screen tilts
sensor size is good (APS-C)
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
very good screen resolution (920 k dot)
does not have selfie friendly display
lacks phase detect auto focus
low fps (6.0 fps)
no external mic port
no headphone port
no image stabilization
no Time Lapse function
OM System OM-1 Set to Enhance Autofocus

Sony NEX-F3 Sensor specs

The Sony NEX-F3 is run by the Bionz processor. The dimension of the sensor in the Sony NEX-F3 is 23.4mm x 15.6mm (APS-C). The 365 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 4912 x 3264 pixels using aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.

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The CMOS sensor has 16 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 200 - 16000. RAW files are supported therefore you have more margin for error.

The image below displays the NEX-F3's sensor size compared to other common sizes. The NEX-F3 sensor has a crop factor of 1.5 and is displayed in green.

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

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony NEX-F3 dimensions

Sony NEX-F3 weighs around 0.69 pounds (314 gr or 11.08 oz) & the physical size of the camera is 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7"). The weight of average Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 gr so the Sony NEX-F3 is similar as compared with various rivals.

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The following is a photo of the Sony NEX-F3 next to a soda so you're able to get a feel for its size.

Sony Alpha NEX-F3 dimensions scale

The top view here will highlight the button layout on the NEX-F3.

Sony Alpha NEX-F3 topview buttons dials

Sony NEX-F3 Lens details

The NEX-F3 uses the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses to select from. Here is a small number of the lenses we have in our database that will work with the NEX-F3.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Laowa-85mm-f5.6-2x-Ultra-Macro-APO-E-Mount lensLaowa 85mm f5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO85mmf/5.6 291g
Sony-FE-200-600-F5.6-6.3-G-OSS lensSony FE 200-600 F5.6-6.3 G OSS200-600mmf/5.6-6.3 2115g
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Sony-FE-70-200mm-F2.8-GM-OSS-II lensSony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II70-200mmf/2.8 1045g
Carl-Zeiss-Touit-2.8-12-Sony-E-NEX lensCarl Zeiss Touit 2.81212mmf/2.8 270g
Lensbaby-Velvet-56-Sony-FE lensLensbaby Velvet 5656mmf/1.6 400g
Sigma-100-400mm-F5-6.3-DG-DN-OS-Sony-FE lensSigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS100-400mmf/5-6.3 1135g
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Lensbaby-Burnside-35-Sony-E lensLensbaby Burnside 3535mmf/2.8374g
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Sony NEX-F3 Connectivity

The NEX-F3 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that include NFC or Bluetooth compatibility can be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You can send photos and at times alter settings with no need to connect straight with the camera.

Certain apps also enable a Liveview and release the shutter whenever you are not close to the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI port, it can be attached to an external screen. Many cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack using the USB socket.

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Sony NEX-F3 Video details

The highest possible video quality in the Sony NEX-F3 is 1920 x 1080 and you can record in MPEG-4 and AVCHD format. 1080p quality provides a good balance for quality vs file size but 1080p will not leave you with any room to crop. The body does not offer a microphone or headphone jack which means that you have absolutely no control over the sound. It is probably a better idea to get another camera if you need decent sound for your video clips.

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Sony NEX-F3 Weather Sealing

There is no environment proofing on the Sony NEX-F3 so you have to be careful in rainy or dusty conditions.

Sony NEX-F3 Display and Viewfinder

The Sony NEX-F3 comes with a 3" tilting screen having a resolution of 920k dots.

Please note that the screen has no touch support.

Sony Alpha NEX-F3 screen and viewfinder Sony Japan Introduces 5G Transmitter for Alpha Cameras

The ViewFinder details for Sony NEX-F3 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder Electronic (optional)

Viewfinders are quite useful for bright outdoor conditions which might make the camera display washed out and difficult to see.

Sony NEX-F3 Shutter details

Sony NEX-F3 has the capability to shoot continuously at 6.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000s.

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Sony NEX-F3 Flash and Hot shoe details

Sony NEX-F3 features both integrated flash along with external flash support. The maximum flash sync speed is 1/160s.

Sony NEX-F3 Autofocusing details

Sony NEX-F3 features only Contrast Based Autofocus & lacks Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot quicker and accurate as compared with Contrast Based autofocusing.

The Sensor comes with 25 focus points to choose from. Sony NEX-F3 has got manual focusing if required for low light or you want to have more accurate focusing control.

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Sony NEX-F3 Battery life

The battery life (NPFW50) on the Sony NEX-F3 is designed to last for 470 shutters based on the CIPA requirements making it above average when compared to its category. The average Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 features the best (750) battery life for this kind of cameras.

Here is a list of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras having the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
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Sony-Alpha-NEX-F3 front thumbnailSony NEX-F3470 yesnono

Sony NEX-F3 for various forms of photography

The following illustration provides a summary of the Sony NEX-F3 for various forms of photography. To view more, go to the specific paragraph below.

Sony NEX-F3 as a Portrait photography camera

The Sony NEX-F3 has a points total of 74 which is very good, and means the camera is a good option for portrait photography. Photographing portraits leans greatly towards sensor dimensions, RAW support and potential to utilize external lighting.

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you can focus manually
good resolution (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files

Sony NEX-F3 Street photography information

With a outstanding rating of 76, the Sony NEX-F3 is a brilliant option for street photography. A good street photography camera comes with a good balance of picture quality and portability.

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screen tilts up and down
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
does not have image stabilization

Sony NEX-F3 Sports photography features

A modest sports photography points tally of 53 indicates the Sony NEX-F3 is fairly suited for photographing sports. A camera really should have very good autofocus and continuous shooting for sports photography.

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sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
good battery power (470 CIPA)
painfully slow continuous shooting (6.0 frames per second)
does not have image stabilization
doesn't have phase detect autofocus

Sony NEX-F3 as a Travel photography camera

Portability is super crucial when getting a camera for travel. Over-all, the Sony NEX-F3 gets a nice 69 as a travel camera which is a good fit to purchase for your holidays.

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great battery power (470 CIPA)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
lack of Time Lapse recording
doesn't have selfie friendly display

Sony NEX-F3 Landscape photography information

When you're looking to purchase a camera for landscape photos, the biggest aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Sony NEX-F3 and it's nice grade of 70 for a landscape camera is a fine fit in the current market.

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you can focus manually
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
good resolution (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
great battery life (470 per charge)
does not have image stabilization
does not have Time Lapse function

Sony NEX-F3 Vlogging features

A vlogging camera preferably should posses a articulating display, microphone input and ideally IBIS. Taking all things in to account, the Sony NEX-F3 is just not suitable as a vlog camera as it delivers a dreadful score of 27.

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high video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
display is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
doesn't have external microphone support

Sony NEX-F3 Alternatives

If you need replacements to the NEX-F3, below is a list of the highest placed cameras that fall within the class of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The diagram down below will give you a summary of the NEX-F3 versus it's top ranking competitors suggested above.

Following are several cameras you may consider as alternatives. To read a thorough comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Sony
Model type
Sony Alpha NEX-F3
Type
Entry-Level Mirrorless
Launched
2012-08-16
Body design
Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Chip
Bionz
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor dimensions
23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area
365.0mm²
Sensor resolution
16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution
4912 x 3264
RAW images
Maximum native ISO
16000
Lowest native ISO
200
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points
25
Lens
Lens support
Sony E
Amount of lenses
121
Crop factor
1.5
Screen
Display type
Tilting
Display size
3 inch
Display resolution
920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display technology
TFT Xtra Fine LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Electronic (optional)
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
73
DXO Color Depth rating
22.7
DXO Dynamic range rating
12.3
DXO Low light rating
1114
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed
1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed
6.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync
1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
314 grams (0.69 lb)
Physical dimensions
117 x 67 x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7")
Other
Battery life
470 pictures
Form of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NPFW50
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots
Single
Cost at release
$470