Sony Alpha NEX-3 14.2 Megapixel Compact Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS E-mount Lens, Black

SKU: ISONEX318BK

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Review Summary

2012-01-22T19:00:00

Rated 5 out of 5

Does the job

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

Rated 4 out of 5

Much more than I hoped for ....

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

Rated 5 out of 5

NEX-3 great camera in a mini size

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 Alpha NEX-3 Interchangeable Lens with Camera, Black Specifications

  • Camera Type

    Sony E-mount interchangeable lens digital camera

  • Lens Mount Type

    Sony E-mount

  • Lens Compatibility

    Sony E-mount lens, (Sony a lenses when used with LA-EA1 lens adaptor)

  • Lens Conversion Factor

    1.5x

  • Imaging Sensor

    Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor (23.4 X 15.6mm)

  • Anti Dust

    Charge protection coating on Low-Pass Filter and electromagnetic vibration mechanism (Power off or Manual)

  • Processor

    BIONZ image processor

  • Pixel Gross

    Approx. 14.6 megapixels

  • Effective Picture Resolution

    Approx. 14.2 megapixels

  • Color Filter System

    RGB primary color filters

  • Recording: Media Type

    Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo/PRO-HG HX Duo media
    SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card

  • Recording: Image Mode

    JPEG (Standard, Fine), RAW, RAW+JPEG

  • Recording: Image Size 3:2

    L (14M): 4592 X 3056
    M (7.4M): 3344 X 2224
    S (3.5M): 2288 X 1520

  • Recording: Image Size 16:9

    L (12M): 4592 X 2576
    M (6.3M): 3344 X 1872
    S (2.9M): 2288 X 1280

  • Recording: Color Space

    sRGB, AdobeRGB

  • Recording: Video Format

    MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC (H.264))

  • Recording: Video Mode

    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)

  • Recording: Audio Format

    MPEG-4 AAC-LC

  • Focus System

    Contrast AF

  • Focus Points

    25 points

  • AF modes

    Single-shot AF, Continuous AF, Direct Manual Focus, Manual Focus

  • Focus Area

    Multi Point AF (25 points), Center Weighted AF, Flexible Spot AF

  • Focus Sensitivity

    0 EV to 20 EV (at ISO100 conversion with F2.8 lens)

  • Manual Focus Assist

    Magnified display for precise manual focus

  • Focus Features

    Predictive Focus Control, Focus Lock

  • AF illuminator

    Built-in, LED type

  • Advanced User Interface

    Easy-to-understand Graphic Display and on-screen Help Guide User-friendly function menu

  • Shooting Tips

    80 expert advice shooting tips

  • Sweep Panorama

    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)

  • Auto High Dynamic Range

    Yes, (Auto Exposure Difference, Exposure difference Level (1-6 EV at 1.0 EV step), off)

  • Anti Motion Blur

    6-image layering

  • Face Detection

    Off, Auto, Child Priority, Adult Priority

  • Smile Shutter

    Off, Slight, Normal, Big

  • Exposure: Metering

    49 Segment metering from CMOS image sensor

  • Exposure: Metering Modes

    Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot

  • Exposure: Metering Sensitivity

    0EV-20EV, (at ISO 100 equivalent w/ f/2.8 lens)

  • Exposure Compensation

    +/-2EV (in 1/3 EV steps)

  • Exposure settings

    iAUTO, Program Auto (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter priority (S), Manual (M)

  • Scene Mode(s)

    Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait, Night View, Handheld Twilight

  • D-Range Optimizer

    Yes: (Auto, Level 1-5, off)

  • Auto Exposure Lock

    Yes (AE Lock with focus lock)

  • ISO

    Auto, 200 to 12800

  • Noise Reduction

    Long exp.NR: (On/Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 second)
    High ISO NR: (Auto/Weak)

  • Creative Style

    Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, B/W
    Adjustable: Contrast (-3 to +3 steps), Saturation (-3 to +3 steps), Sharpness (-3 to +3 steps)

  • White Balance Mode

    Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, Setting the color temperature, Custom

  • Color temperature

    2500 - 9900 k with 19-step Magenta / Green compensation

  • Shutter Type

    Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type

  • Drive Mode

    Single-shot, Continuous, Speed Priority, Self-timer, Continuous Self-timer, Bracketing; Remote Commander

  • Continuous Shooting Speed

    Continuous (2.3fps)
    Speed Priority (7fps)

  • Self-timer

    2-sec. or 10-sec. delay, (single, continuous 3 or 5 frames)

  • Shutter Speeds

    1/4000 - 30 seconds, bulb

  • Flash Sync Speed

    1/160 second

  • Burst Buffer

    JPEG (unlimited to card capacity)
    RAW (8 shots)
    RAW+JPEG (5 shots)

  • LCD Type

    3" TFT TruBlack LCD (921,600 pixels)

  • LCD Angle Adjustment

    Up: Approx. 80 degrees, Down: Approx. 45 degrees

  • LCD Brightness Control

    Auto (-2 to +2 step sunny weather)

  • LCD Coverage

    100%

  • LCD Live View

    Yes, (Constant AF Live View)

  • LCD Real-time image-adjustment display

    Exposure Compensation, WB, Creative Style

  • LCD Histogram

    Yes (On/off)

  • LCD Grid Display

    Yes (On/off)

  • LCD Customization

    Brightness: Auto Manual, Sunny Weather
    Display Color: Black, White, Blue, Pink
    Wide Image: Full Screen, Normal

  • Flash Type

    Smart accessory terminal (HVL-F7S Flash Supplied)

  • Flash Metering System

    Pre-flash TTL

  • Flash Modes

    Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear sync., Slow sync., Red-eye reduction

  • Flash Compensation

    +/-2EV,1/3EV steps

  • Flash Coverage

    FOV coverage up to 16 mm (in the focal length)

  • Flash Recycling Time

    Approx. 4 sec

  • Flash Guide Number

    7 (in meters at ISO 100)

  • Flash Bracketing

    3 frames, 1/3, 2/3EV steps selectable

  • Memory Card Slot

    Dual memory card slot:
    - Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo/PRO-HG HX Duo media
    - SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card

  • HD Output

    HDMI (TypeC mini)

  • USB Port(s)

    USB2.0 Hi-speed (mass-storage, PTP)

  • BRAVIA Sync

    Yes, via HDMI with compatible BRAVIA HDTV

  • PhotoTV HD

    Yes, with BRAVIA Sync enabled HDTV and HDMI cable

  • DVDirect

    Yes, via USB

  • Supplied Software

    PMB (Picture Motion Browser) 4.3.01 Image Data Converter SR 3.1 Image Data Lightbox SR

  • Operating System Compatibility :

    Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Windows XP*SP2 Windows Vista Mac OS X(v10.1.3) or later

  • Battery Type

    InfoLitium NP-FW50, 7.2V

  • Number of Shots

    Approx. 330 images (CIPA standard)

  • Operating Temperature

    32 - 104 degrees F (0 - 40 degrees C)

  • Optics/Lens

    SEL1855

  • Lens Type

    E-mount 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS

  • Lens Mount

    Sony E-mount

  • Lens Construction

    9 groups, 11 elements (4 aspheric surfaces)

  • Lens: Focal length (35mm equivalent)

    27mm-82.5mm

  • Lens: Angle of view

    76° - 29°

  • Lens: Aperture blade

    7 blades (Circular aperture)

  • Lens: Aperture (Max.)

    F3.5-F5.6

  • Lens: Aperture (Min.)

    F22-F32

  • Lens: Maximum Magnification

    0.3x (APS-C)

  • Lens: Minimum Focusing Distance

    9.8" (0.25m)

  • Lens: Filter Diameter

    49mm

  • Lens: Internal Motor

    Yes (Stepping motor)

  • Lens: Image Stabilization

    Optical SteadyShot (max 4-step)

  • Lens: Low Noise During Movie Capture

    Excellent

  • Lens: Direct Manual Focus

    Yes

  • Lens: Focus Ring in AF Mode

    No rotation

  • Lens: Mount Material

    Metal

  • Lens: Exterior Finish

    Aluminum

  • Lens: Dimensions(Max. Diameter x Length)

    2-7/16 x 2-3/8" (62x60mm)

  • Lens: Weight

    6.9 oz (194g)

  • Camera: Dimensions (Approx.)

    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

  • Camera: Weight (Approx.)

    Approx. 8.4 oz (239g) (excl battery & media)
    Approx. 10.5 oz (297g) (w/battery & media)

  • UPC Code

    027242797604

12 Accessories for Sony Alpha NEX-3 14.2 Megapixel Compact Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS E-mount Lens, Black

  • All Accessories (12)
  • Batteries & Power Supply (1)
  • Filters (1)
  • Filter and Filter Kits (1)
  • Lenses (1)
  • Lens Adapters (8)

About Sony Alpha NEX-3 Interchangeable Lens with Camera, Black

FEATURED REVIEWS

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.

Sony Alpha NEX-3 Interchangeable Lens with Camera, Black Features

  • Smallest in class: This is the world's smallest interchangeable lens digital still camera. Sony has removed the conventional mirror box, AF sensor and viewfinder, reducing the "flange back" distance from 44.5 mm to 18 mm.
  • Interchangeable lenses: Compatible with Sony's E-mount series of smaller, lighter lenses designed specifically for Alpha compact interchangeable lens cameras. Opens up a world of creative options.
  • APS-C size HD image sensor: With 13 times the area of the typical image sensor, APS-C makes the difference between "snapshots" and "photographs," delivering an exceptional combination of high resolution, high sensitivity and gorgeous, blurred backgrounds.
  • HD movie recording: Capture vivid, lifelike HD movies in the PC-friendly MP4 format. Shoot 720/30p high definition or standard definition 480/30p.
  • 14.2 megapixel resolution: You get incredible detail and gorgeous enlargements. Thanks to the APS-C sensor size and Sony Exmor APS HD CMOS technology, the camera achieves high resolution with no penalty in low-light sensitivity or sensor noise.
  • Up to 7 frames per second: Capture the decisive moment in sports and get the ideal baby photo. Up to 7 fps continuous shooting at full 14.2 MP resolution with exposure and focus fixed at the first frame. Standard continuous shooting at up to 2.3 fps.
  • ISO 12800 sensitivity: Incredibly clear low-light pictures without sacrificing detail. This is best-in-class performance, made possible by low-noise Exmor APS HD CMOS image sensor and refined BIONZ image processor.
  • Sweep Panorama: Capture expansive landscapes automatically. Press the shutter, sweep vertically or horizontally. The camera does the rest, continuously shooting images and stitching them together. Up to 23 MP image size. Up to 202 degrees maximum sweep angle (16mm focal length).
  • Anti Motion Blur mode: Corrects for subject movement to capture amazingly clean and sharp images in low light. The camera leverages the large, APS-C image sensor and captures six images in a fraction of a second. Combining the data from all six creates a single image that minimizes subject blur.
  • Hand-held Twilight Mode: Get cleaner and sharper nighttime pictures-beyond the capability of traditional cameras-without using flash or a tripod. The camera leverages the large, APS-C image sensor and captures six images in a fraction of a second.
  • Auto HDR built into camera: High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography captures more scene contrast than a single exposure can handle by combining the best highlight detail from one shot and the best shadow detail from another for one incredible shot.
  • Live View LCD: The LCD monitor is active full-time for composing shots. Provides a what-you-see-is-what-you-get preview of white balance, focus, depth of field, exposure and 100% framing accuracy, plus informative on-screen displays.
  • Tiltable 3" LCD screen: Empowers your photography with a different point or view. Tilts down 45° and up 80° to frame high- and low-angle shots that would otherwise be hit-or-miss.
  • 920K pixel TruBlack LCD screen: Sony's Xtra Fine LCD monitor has best-in-class resolution. The TruBlack screen includes a special resin layer to suppress internal reflections, increase contrast compared to conventional LCDs. Sunny Weather mode boosts visibility even further in bright sunlight.
  • Fast Auto Focus: Some cameras in this class are slow to focus. That can make you miss the shot on fast-moving subjects like sports and unpredictable subjects. Sony's fast Contrast Auto Focus system typically takes just 0.3 seconds. Also offers continuous Auto Focus when shooting movies.
  • Intelligent Auto Focus: Pre-focuses as you compose the shot, further reducing focusing time to a bare minimum.
  • iAUTO (Intelligent Auto) mode: Unifies and simplifies Sony intelligent technologies. Takes advantage of Intelligent Scene Recognition, Face Detection technology and Optical SteadyShot image stabilization without leaving auto mode so you always get the best shot.
  • On-screen Help Guide : Provides ready reference, explains the camera's modes and settings. Walks you through camera operation so you get the best shot. Helps you advance from basic operation to greater sophistication.
  • On-screen Shooting Tips: Offers expert advice so you can shoot like a pro.
  • Control Wheel + Soft Keys: Unlike cameras that bristle with knobs, buttons and dials, the NEX-3 features a simple turn-and-click Control Wheel and context-sensitive Soft Keys. It's elegant, uncluttered and intuitive.
  • Sony Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor: Conventional image sensors use only a handful of analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, which can slow you down. The NEX-3 Exmor sensor provides 4,592 column-parallel A/D converters. You get fast response, superb image clarity.
  • BIONZ image processor: The brains of the camera is a refined version of Sony's BIONZ image processor. Its chroma noise reduction delivers high-res, low-noise photos even at ISO 12800 sensitivity. Also enables fast processing for up to 7 fps continuous shooting of data-intensive 14.2 MP images.
  • Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO): Dynamic Range Optimizer improves results with backlit subjects and recovers details hidden in shadows. Settings include Auto, Level with a choice of five operating levels and Off.
  • Accepts a DSLR A-mount lenses: Using the LA-EA1 adaptor (sold separately), you can attach the full selection of a A-mount system lenses, which includes 28 current models and an installed base of millions of lenses worldwide.
  • 25-point Auto Focus: 25 sensors cover a very wide area of the scene, for accurate focusing even when the subject is far from the center of the frame.

What's in the box:

  • Sony Alpha NEX-3 Digital Camera
  • SEL1855 E-mount 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 OSS Lens
  • Lens Hood
  • Lens Cap
  • HVL-F7S Detachable Flash
  • Case for Flash
  • BC-VW1 Battery Charger
  • NP-FW50 Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery
  • Shoulder Strap
  • USB Cable (Mini B)
  • CD-ROM
  • Sony 1 Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty