
Review Summary
2012-01-22T19:00:00
Battery life could be longer and battery charge takes quite a while (4 hrs. or so). Xtra battery a nice addition. Some reviews mentioned that it was hard to use and navigate thru the menus, but I found it very easy. It has the features I want without overkill to get in my way. Manual helps!! Excellent photos.Love it!! Will buy NEX7 as a result of this experience. But will keep the NEX3. Wonderful machine.
Geezer
2011-01-11T19:00:00
Bought this to take photos of my wife's quilts and to do plant photography. Shot four parties trying it out under varying light conditions. Do check the firmware and update as necessary. Do read the manual, use it, and then read it again. Different beast than a 30 year old SLR. Tiltable LCD is great for high and low shots, especially with my no-line bifocals. Reasonable software until I know what I want (Coming back into photography after the darkroom enlarger and chemical era).
NeverTooOld
2010-08-08T21:00:00
I was most impressed with the image quality with both lenses. The files converted to really great 11x14 prints on my Epson R2400. Color is great and resolution is outstanding. I coul see individual bricks on distant buildings . THe only thing I wish was better was the sound of the shutter. For such a tiny camera, it makes a loud clunk when fired.
Peter G.
Sony E-mount interchangeable lens digital camera
Sony E-mount
Sony E-mount lens, (Sony a lenses when used with LA-EA1 lens adaptor)
1.5x
Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor (23.4 X 15.6mm)
Charge protection coating on Low-Pass Filter and electromagnetic vibration mechanism (Power off or Manual)
BIONZ image processor
Approx. 14.6 megapixels
Approx. 14.2 megapixels
RGB primary color filters
Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo/PRO-HG HX Duo media
SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card
JPEG (Standard, Fine), RAW, RAW+JPEG
L (14M): 4592 X 3056
M (7.4M): 3344 X 2224
S (3.5M): 2288 X 1520
L (12M): 4592 X 2576
M (6.3M): 3344 X 1872
S (2.9M): 2288 X 1280
sRGB, AdobeRGB
MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC (H.264))
MP4 HD: 1280 x 720/ 30p (29.97 Progressive) Approx.9Mbps/6Mbps (Average bit-rate)
MP4 VGA: 640 x 480/ 30p (29.97 Progressive) Approx.3Mbps(Average bit-rate)
MPEG-4 AAC-LC
Contrast AF
25 points
Single-shot AF, Continuous AF, Direct Manual Focus, Manual Focus
Multi Point AF (25 points), Center Weighted AF, Flexible Spot AF
0 EV to 20 EV (at ISO100 conversion with F2.8 lens)
Magnified display for precise manual focus
Predictive Focus Control, Focus Lock
Built-in, LED type
Easy-to-understand Graphic Display and on-screen Help Guide User-friendly function menu
80 expert advice shooting tips
Horizontal Panorama Size:
- Wide 23MP (12,416 x 1,856), 226° (16mm focal), 201° (18mm focal)
- Standard 15.2MP (8,192 x 1,856), 149° (16mm focal), 133° (18mm focal)
Vertical Panorama Size:
- Wide 12MP (5,536 x 2,160), 151° (16mm focal), 135° (18mm focal)
- Standard 8.4MP (3,872 x 2,160), 106° (16mm focal), 94° (18mm focal)
Yes, (Auto Exposure Difference, Exposure difference Level (1-6 EV at 1.0 EV step), off)
6-image layering
Off, Auto, Child Priority, Adult Priority
Off, Slight, Normal, Big
49 Segment metering from CMOS image sensor
Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot
0EV-20EV, (at ISO 100 equivalent w/ f/2.8 lens)
+/-2EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
iAUTO, Program Auto (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter priority (S), Manual (M)
Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait, Night View, Handheld Twilight
Yes: (Auto, Level 1-5, off)
Yes (AE Lock with focus lock)
Auto, 200 to 12800
Long exp.NR: (On/Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 second)
High ISO NR: (Auto/Weak)
Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, B/W
Adjustable: Contrast (-3 to +3 steps), Saturation (-3 to +3 steps), Sharpness (-3 to +3 steps)
Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, Setting the color temperature, Custom
2500 - 9900 k with 19-step Magenta / Green compensation
Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type
Single-shot, Continuous, Speed Priority, Self-timer, Continuous Self-timer, Bracketing; Remote Commander
Continuous (2.3fps)
Speed Priority (7fps)
2-sec. or 10-sec. delay, (single, continuous 3 or 5 frames)
1/4000 - 30 seconds, bulb
1/160 second
JPEG (unlimited to card capacity)
RAW (8 shots)
RAW+JPEG (5 shots)
3" TFT TruBlack LCD (921,600 pixels)
Up: Approx. 80 degrees, Down: Approx. 45 degrees
Auto (-2 to +2 step sunny weather)
100%
Yes, (Constant AF Live View)
Exposure Compensation, WB, Creative Style
Yes (On/off)
Yes (On/off)
Brightness: Auto Manual, Sunny Weather
Display Color: Black, White, Blue, Pink
Wide Image: Full Screen, Normal
Smart accessory terminal (HVL-F7S Flash Supplied)
Pre-flash TTL
Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear sync., Slow sync., Red-eye reduction
+/-2EV,1/3EV steps
FOV coverage up to 16 mm (in the focal length)
Approx. 4 sec
7 (in meters at ISO 100)
3 frames, 1/3, 2/3EV steps selectable
Dual memory card slot:
- Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo/PRO-HG HX Duo media
- SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card
HDMI (TypeC mini)
USB2.0 Hi-speed (mass-storage, PTP)
Yes, via HDMI with compatible BRAVIA HDTV
Yes, with BRAVIA Sync enabled HDTV and HDMI cable
Yes, via USB
PMB (Picture Motion Browser) 4.3.01 Image Data Converter SR 3.1 Image Data Lightbox SR
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Windows XP*SP2 Windows Vista Mac OS X(v10.1.3) or later
InfoLitium NP-FW50, 7.2V
Approx. 330 images (CIPA standard)
32 - 104 degrees F (0 - 40 degrees C)
SEL1855
E-mount 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS
Sony E-mount
9 groups, 11 elements (4 aspheric surfaces)
27mm-82.5mm
76° - 29°
7 blades (Circular aperture)
F3.5-F5.6
F22-F32
0.3x (APS-C)
9.8" (0.25m)
49mm
Yes (Stepping motor)
Optical SteadyShot (max 4-step)
Excellent
Yes
No rotation
Metal
Aluminum
2-7/16 x 2-3/8" (62x60mm)
6.9 oz (194g)
Approx 4-5/8 ® 2-1/2 ® 1-3/8" (117.2x62.6x33.4mm) (W/H/D); 1" (25.4mm) excl grip and lens mount
Approx. 8.4 oz (239g) (excl battery & media)
Approx. 10.5 oz (297g) (w/battery & media)
027242797604











NEX-3 great camera in a mini size
By Peter G.
I was most impressed with the image quality with both lenses. The files converted to really great 11x14 prints on my Epson R2400. Color is great and resolution is outstanding. I coul see individual bricks on distant buildings . THe only thing I wish was better was the sound of the shutter. For such a tiny camera, it makes a loud clunk when fired.
Does the job
By Geezer
Battery life could be longer and battery charge takes quite a while (4 hrs. or so). Xtra battery a nice addition. Some reviews mentioned that it was hard to use and navigate thru the menus, but I found it very easy. It has the features I want without overkill to get in my way. Manual helps!! Excellent photos.Love it!! Will buy NEX7 as a result of this experience. But will keep the NEX3. Wonderful machine.
With the Sony Alpha NEX-3 interchangeable lens camera, you can take professional-grade pictures without looking like a professional photographer. Enjoy gorgeous HD movies, astounding low-light pictures, continuous shooting up to 7 fps, incredible panorama shots and Live View on a tilting 3.0-inch LCD. Get the performance of a DSLR without the size and weight. The NEX-3 stands apart as the world's smallest interchangeable lens camera.
Unlike conventional DSLR models, the "mirrorless" construction of the NEX-3 reduces the thickness of camera body to just about an inch at its slimmest point (excluding grip and mount portions). The NEX-3 is constructed with a polycarbonate casing. It offers a newly developed 14.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor. About 60 percent larger than the sensor in micro four-thirds cameras, this sensor is key to the exceptional image quality, extremely low image noise and creative defocus background effects that are familiar to DSLR users.
The NEX-3 is the first Alpha camera featuring Sweep Panorama. With this feature capturing large group shots is as easy as press-and-sweep. Sweep Panorama mode lets you capture breathtaking shots up to 226-degree horizontal or 151-degree vertical shots.
Featuring in-lens Optical SteadyShot image stabilization for clearer handheld images, the E 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS zoom is a perfect travel partner. The E 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS zoom lens offers a powerful 11x magnification range plus Optical SteadyShot image stabilization with Active mode that is used in the most advanced Handycam camcorders.
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