Sony G3

Sony G3 is Sony's Small Sensor Compact camera first released on January of 2009. The camera uses a 10MP, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a peak resolution of 3648 x 2736.

The G3 places at #169 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & all around #1098 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can check our Smart camera filter to find camera rankings based on your personal criteria.

Here is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.

You can look at the G3 from different angles in the gallery below.

Here is a selection of upsides and downsides of the Sony G3 based on things that are often seen as important in a camera.

The dimension of the sensor in the Sony G3 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 3648 x 2736 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera features Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is better than digital stabilization as the latter can lead to cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 10 megapixels and supports a native ISO range of 80 - 3200. Sadly, RAW files are not supported therefore you have less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below illustrates the G3's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The G3 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

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To get an idea of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Sony G3 weighs around 0.41 lbs (185 gr or 6.53 oz) & the physical size of the camera is 97mm x 59mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9"). The weight of general Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 gr so the Sony G3 is very similar compared with its rivals.

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Listed below is a pic of the Sony G3 besides a softdrink so you're able to get a feel for its size.

The top view below will provide the button layout on the G3.

The G3 is equipped with a built in lens having a focal range of 35-140mm making it a 4.0 x zoom which is not great however it can be very helpful in certain circumstances.

At it's widest 35mm, the lens features an aperture of f3.5 which will be quite sluggish and not great for low light situations and you will likely find it difficult to get a shallow depth of field. You will also have to increase your ISO setting causing noisy files. With the long end, 140mm comes to f10.0 making it fairly sluggish and you might have to choose slow shutter speeds.

The G3 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• HDMI Yes

Cameras which have NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You can transfer pictures and sometimes adjust camera settings without connecting directly with the camera.

Some apps also provide a Liveview and press the shutter whenever you aren't close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it can easily be attached to an external monitor. Many cameras will allow you to charge the battery using the USB socket.

The highest video quality in the Sony G3 is 640 x 480 and you can record in Motion JPEG format. 480p is low for today's requirements. You really should try to get a minimum FUll HD quality for good video. The body doesn't include a microphone and headphone jack which means that you have got absolutely no control over the sound. It is probably a better idea to get a different camera if you want better sound for your video clips.

There is no weather proofing in the Sony G3 so you have to be cautious in rainy or dusty conditions.

The Sony G3 houses a 3.5" fixed screen having a resolution of 921k dots.

Moreover the screen is touch friendly which means you can shift focus point plus adjust settings by using your finger.

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The ViewFinder specifications for Sony G3 are as follows:

• ViewFinder None

For bright outdoor conditions that make the camera screens washed out and challenging to see, viewfinders can be particularly valuable.

Sony G3 has the capability to shoot continuously at 2.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/1000 seconds.

Sony G3 features just integrated flash lacking external flash ability.

Sony G3 features only Contrast Based Autofocus & doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot quicker and accurate as compared with Contrast Based autofocusing.

The Sensor boasts 9 focus points to select from. Sony G3 features manual focusing if required during low light situations or you require more precise control on focusing.

The typical Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 offers the highest (470) battery life within this group of cameras.

Underneath is a list of Small Sensor Compact cameras that have the strongest battery life:

The following bar chart indicates a summation of the Sony G3 for various styles of photography. To view more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

The Sony G3 has a points total of 26 which is horrible, and means the camera is just not very good for portraits. Taking portraits leans greatly towards sensor dimension, support for RAW photos in addition to the capability to work with off-camera flash.

Getting a reasonable points total of 56, the Sony G3 is fairly suitable to buy for street photography. A good street photography camera has a good balance of image quality plus portability.

A horrible sports photography rating of 23 indicates the Sony G3 is just not very good for shooting sports. A camera should have excellent tracking plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

Weight is very important in getting a camera for travel. On the whole, the Sony G3 gets a moderate 50 for a travelling camera which makes it fairly appropriate to purchase for your trips.

For anyone who is looking to buy a digital camera for landscape photography, the most vital factor will no doubt be image quality. The Sony G3 with it's horrible grade of 36 as a landscape camera is just not very good compared to its competition.

A vlogging camera really should offer a articulating screen, microphone input and preferably image stabilization. Considering everything, the Sony G3 is just not very good as a vlog camera as it gets a horrible score of 27.

If you are trying to find replacements to the G3, below is a list of the highest scored cameras which fall in to the class of Small Sensor Compact.

The line graph followed below gives you an overview of the G3 versus it's top ranked rivals mentioned above.

These are some more cameras you might see as alternatives. To review a complete comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.