- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Sony NEX C3
- 16 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
#3 in widest aperture cameras
Released June, 2011
Rated 100% by by S.-YonedaThe photos/videos are of such high quality and the camera is so easy (and fun) to use that we find ourselves taking more opportunities than before to use the camera.
Conclusion Check out the Sony NEX C3
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Sony NEX C3
16 MP
APS-C
Rated 100% by by John-Clawsonvideo quality isn't as good as the more expensive models in NEX lineup.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 16 MP    | 30 MP |
NEX C3 by Yano (Sep, 2012)This camera ironically features one of the best 16MP APS sensors ever made, better than the ones put in Sony's other 16MP APS cameras and Nikon's 16MP cameras (All Nikon DSLR sensors are made by Sony).
NEX C3 by John-ClawsonThe JPEG processing in the camera isn't the best, so shoot RAW and you'll be very happy with the output from the camera.
sensor size
NEX C3 by the-dude (Apr, 2012)The overall performance of this camera is excellent, it has a full size sensor and much larger lenses than comparable micro 4/3 based cameras.
body size
110 x 60 x 33 mm
133 x 100 x 80 mm
117 x 67 x 42 mm
NEX C3 by Karen-D (Apr, 2012)this little camera is great, about half the size of the d40 much easier to manage.
focus points
| 0 | 25 | 200 |
NEX C3 by M.-Li (Apr, 2012)It's also turned me into an amateur photographer, as I read up on f stops and manual focusing in order to fully exploit the capabilities of this camera.
NEX C3 by Ms_Ladi--...just-wandering-the-world. (Jan, 2012)I cannot do any close focusing...again, very weird for a handheld camera...doesn't matter about the lens; it's supposed to be made to pull out and shoot any and every time.
Performance Real world tests of Sony NEX C3
DxOMark image quality
NEX C3 by Sarge (Dec, 2011)Has a full size processor similar to a DSLR in a 4/5 camera so picture quality is excellent.
NEX C3 by SunnySideUp (Sep, 2011)The pictures are amazing, even in low light colors are great, pictures are super sharp and the continues shooting allows us to capture every smile and new movement with clear sharp images.
DxOMark low light performance
NEX C3 by M.-Li (Apr, 2012)It's performed admirably, in terms of low light functionality and sheer richness of detail.
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 223 ms | 100 ms |
NEX C3 by appstatephotographer (Sep, 2012)There really isn't much that I don't like about this camera, other than the fact that I wish it had a remote shutter release.
continuous shooting
NEX C3 by Jason (Dec, 2012)The continuous shooting feature works great, and the stock 18-55 lens takes amazing pictures.
battery life
400 photos
230 photos
310 photos
NEX C3 by Derrick (Aug, 2011)On the first full charge I took almost 400 jpeg+raw pictures, a couple panoramas and a video, along with plenty of reviewing of pictures on the LCD and still had 18% battery life left.
NEX C3 by R.-Byerly (Dec, 2011)The camera was nice, and it had GPS so it would take the location of photos, but it performed not so great in low light, and battery life was terrible even with GPS turned off.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
Contrast detection focusing system -
HD video -
Generic -
73.0 -
921 k dots -
Great for recording movies -
92.37% -
1,083 ISO -
Create 3D photos to view on a 3D TV -
1,200 ms -
400 -
Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas -
Stitches together multiple photos into a single ultra-wide view -
225 g -
110 x 60 x 33 mm -
33 mm
cons
-
HD video -
None -
Use buttons to access features and menus -
Jun, 2011 -
Taking quality photos in low-light will require external hardware -
0 -
Won't have that film look -
None
Reviews Word on the street
 |   Rated by 57 users at amazon.com Rated 80% by by Ali-Julia (Aug, 2011)  Rated 100% by by Informed-Buyer (Aug, 2011) Rated 100% by by Informed-Buyer (Aug, 2011) |
|---|---|
Lens
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 80% by by West-Coast-book-lover (Feb, 2012)* interchangeable lenses if you want special effects like super wide angle, fish eye, or extreme macro.
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by Roswell-Vixen---i--Roswell-Vixen--i (Dec, 2011)the depth of field really makes the pictures look professional and i am now so excited to find ways to use this camera any chance i can get!
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by SunnySideUp (Sep, 2011)One thing I am not super happy about is the lens which is only 18-55 - its great for indoor use but outside I would have liked a little more zoom.
Image quality
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by Informed-Buyer (Aug, 2011)The C3 has a small edge in several areas including resolution, low light capabilities, battery life, weight, size, color depth, and general image quality.
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by K.-Dickerson (Jan, 2012)The picture quality is spectacular, I love the form factor, and the versatility of the camera is amazing!
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by SunnySideUp (Sep, 2011)Bottom line- great camera for compact shooters looking to upgrade to a DSLR like image quality (or as close as you can get) but don't want the bulk or complication of a DSLR.
Screen
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by dnjake (Oct, 2011)Particularly when shooting toward the sun, it is very diffcult to see anything on the LCD.
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by dnjake (Oct, 2011)But, I was surprised to find that flare is not a problem unless the sun is actually in the image.
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by Wingdinger (Aug, 2011)I wish the screen were a tad bigger, but it's a great screen the way it is.
Sensor
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by M.-Li (Apr, 2012)With its larger sensor, my picture quality blows past what I'm used to, so I'm very very happy.
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by Derrick (Aug, 2011)I also bought a Sandisk Extreme III 32 gig card for it, it can take about 1400 RAW+JPEG photos and several hours of 720p video with this.
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by dnjake (Oct, 2011)As pointed out in the review in DPReview, even when highlights are blown out, the sensor preserves enough information to present the higlight more or less as it would normally be experienced rather than as the completely white featureless blob my prior digital cameras have produced.
Photography
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by S.-YonedaCamera veterans may prefer something used more by professionals but for those who want to easily take high quality, creative pictures of your families, vacations, kid's soccer games, etc. this is excellent bang for your buck.
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 100% by by M.-Li (Apr, 2012)I've taken this little beauty on family outings, friend gatherings, and a winter vacation in Europe.
Sony NEX C3 | Rated 80% by by Jason (Dec, 2012)It takes wonderful group shots (the timer feature works great so all can be included), and amazing nature shots.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony NEX-7 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark NEX-7 vs NEX C3 |
 | 2 | Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 Highest resolution screen Cybershot DSC-RX100 vs NEX C3 |
 | 3 | Sony NEX-F3 Least noise at high ISO NEX-F3 vs NEX C3 |
 | 4 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Has a touch screen Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 vs Sony NEX C3 |
 | 5 | Olympus PEN E-PM1 More contrast-detection focus points Olympus PEN E-PM1 vs Sony NEX C3 |
 | 6 | Nikon 1 J1 Fastest rapid fire mode Nikon 1 J1 vs Sony NEX C3 |
 | 7 | Canon EOS 600D Has a viewfinder mirror Canon EOS 600D vs Sony NEX C3 |
 | 8 | Samsung NX1000 Largest sensor Samsung NX1000 vs Sony NEX C3 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
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