Canon Rebel
T3
 vs
Sony Alpha
NEX-3

Updated (June, 2011): Compare the Canon Rebel T3 vs Sony NEX C3

Canon Rebel T3

56

  
Sony Alpha NEX-3

43

  

Reasons to buy the Canon Rebel T3

Badge
 Built-in focus motor
Autofocuses with more lenses
Battery life
 Great battery life
700 shots
Badge
 Phase detection autofocus
fast and accurate
Live view
 Has live view
Preview your photos
 
Runner-up

Sony Alpha NEX-3

Reasons to buy the Sony Alpha NEX-3

Size
 Really small
Compact 117x62x33 mm
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
12,800 ISO
Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
12 EV
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Panorama
 In-camera panoramas
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
 

differences

Advantages of the Canon T3
Autofocus Faster autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
 Catch candid moments easily
Lens availability Much more lenses available 162 lenses vs 8 lenses
Help
 Around 20.5x more lenses available
Battery life Significantly longer battery life 700 shots vs 330 shots
Help
 More than 2x more shots per battery charge
Startup delay Less startup delay 300 ms vs 1000 ms
Help
 3.3x less delay when turning on
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
 A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Viewfinder Has a viewfinder Pentamirror vs None
Help
 A viewfinder can help save battery life by keeping the screen turned off
Lowest price Slightly cheaper $331.59 vs $448.00
Help
 The best price we've seen is $116 cheaper (around 30% less)
Canon Rebel T3 Learn more about
the Canon T3

Advantages of the Sony NEX-3
Size Significantly smaller 117x62x33 mm vs 130x100x78 mm
Help
 4.2x smaller
Screen size Significantly larger screen 3.0" vs 2.7"
Help
 More than 10% larger screen
External mic jack Has an external mic jack Yes vs No
Help
 Record high quality audio with an external microphone
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
Autofocus Video autofocus Contrast detection vs None
Help
 Automatically focuses shooting video
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12 EV vs 11 EV
Help
 1 f-stop more dynamic range
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Overall image quality Better image quality 68.0 vs 62.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 12,800 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The NEX-3's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Thickness Significantly thinner 1.3" vs 3.1"
Help
 2.4x thinner
Sensor cleaning Has a self cleaning sensor Yes vs No
Help
 Removes dust from the sensor automatically, avoiding spots in photos
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 7 fps vs 3 fps
Help
 Around 2.5x faster continuous shooting
Focus points More focus points 25 vs 9
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
True resolution Higher true resolution 14 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Capture around 20% more detail in your photos
Weight Lighter 297 g vs 459 g
Help
 Around 40% lighter
Color depth Better color depth 22.1 bits vs 21.9 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.2 more bits of color
Sensor size Slightly larger sensor APS-C 23.4x15.6mm vs APS-C 22.2x14.7mm
Help
 More than 10% larger sensor
Low light performance Slightly lower noise at high ISO 830 ISO vs 755 ISO
Help
 The NEX-3 has a slight edge (0.1 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Sony Alpha NEX-3 Learn more about
the Sony NEX-3
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent digital cameras, and ignoring price

Canon Rebel T3 Canon Rebel T3
56 vs 43
Explain scores
Sony Alpha NEX-3 Sony Alpha NEX-3
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Canon Rebel T3. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a entry-level DSLR with a mirrorless interchangeable-lens.

similarities

Compared to recent digital cameras

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Sensor size Large sensors Help
T3:APS-C 22.2x14.7mm
NEX-3:APS-C 23.4x15.6mm
Interchangeable lenses Both support interchangeable lenses, which is uncommon in cameras similar to these Help
Many lenses to choose from
Supports RAW Supports RAW Help
Better editing
Startup delay Minimal startup delay Help
T3:300 ms
NEX-3:1000 ms
External flash Support external flash Help
Better lighting
Sensor type Better sensor types Help
Better in low light
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/4000 of a second
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Cross type focus points Few cross-type focus points Help
T3:1
NEX-3:0
Movie format Both shoot high resolution HD movies Help
720p @ 30fps

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$447 - $740 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D3100 vs the Rebel T3
Compare the D3100 vs the Alpha NEX-3
Canon Rebel T3i

Canon Rebel T3i

Entry-level DSLR

$549 body only

$599 - $649 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Records higher quality movies
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the Rebel T3
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the Alpha NEX-3
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$597 - $805 with 18-55mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the D5100 vs the Rebel T3
Compare the D5100 vs the Alpha NEX-3
Nikon D3200

Nikon D3200

Entry-level DSLR

$547 with 18-55mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Movie format Records higher quality movies
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is slightly heavier
Compare the D3200 vs the Rebel T3
Compare the D3200 vs the Alpha NEX-3

Canon Rebel T3 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Canon Rebel T2i

Entry-level DSLR

$535 body only

$609 with 18-55mm lens
Screen size Significantly larger screen
External mic jack Has an external mic jack
Battery life Shorter battery life
Weight Heavier
Compare the Rebel T2i vs the Rebel T3
Nikon D3000

Nikon D3000

Entry-level DSLR

$436 with 18-55mm lens
Screen size Significantly larger screen
Size Smaller
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Live view No live view
Compare the D3000 vs the Rebel T3
Canon 650D / T4i

Canon Rebel T4i

Entry-level DSLR

$699 - $800 body only

$749 with 18-55mm lens
Autofocus Video autofocus
Screen size Significantly larger screen
Battery life Shorter battery life
Startup delay More startup delay
Compare the Rebel T4i vs the Rebel T3

Sony Alpha NEX-3 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony Alpha NEX-5

Sony Alpha NEX-5

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$656 with 18-55mm lens
Movie format Higher resolution movies
Dynamic range More dynamic range
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Compare the Alpha NEX-5 vs the Alpha NEX-3
Sony NEX-F3

Sony NEX-F3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$379 - $730 with 18-55mm lens
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Movie format Higher resolution movies
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Movie continuous focus Doesn't focus continuously recording movies
Compare the NEX-F3 vs the Alpha NEX-3
Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5N

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$650 - $699 with 18-55mm lens
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Touch screen Has a touch screen
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Compare the NEX-5N vs the Alpha NEX-3
Nikon 1 J1

Nikon 1 J1

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$379 - $497 with 10-30mm lens
High-speed framerate Records high-speed movies
Continuous shooting Shoots much faster
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Screen flips out Screen does not flip out
Compare the 1 J1 vs the Alpha NEX-3
Sony NEX C3

Sony NEX C3

Mirrorless interchangeable-lens

$549 with 16mm lens
Overall image quality Better image quality
True resolution Higher true resolution
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Storage slots Has fewer storage slots
Compare the NEX C3 vs the Alpha NEX-3

appearance

Canon Rebel T3 Sony Alpha NEX-3
Canon Rebel T3 Sony Alpha NEX-3
Canon Rebel T3 Sony Alpha NEX-3

discussion

Showing 0 comments