Sony NEX-3 vs Sony a380

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony NEX-3 and Sony a380. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony NEX-3

Sony a380

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony NEX-3 were released 2010 and Sony a380 was released 2009. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony NEX-3	2010
Sony a380	2009

Type of camera

Sony NEX-3 is a Mirrorless camera while Sony a380 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Sony APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony NEX-3	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Sony a380	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)

Resolution

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony NEX-3 has a 14 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a380 has 14 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony NEX-3	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056
Sony a380	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056

ISO range

Sony NEX-3 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a380. Sony NEX-3 has an ISO range that stretches from 200 to 12800 while Sony a380 has 100 to 3200.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony NEX-3	200-12800
Sony a380	100-3200

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony NEX-3
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a380

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony NEX-3 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds and Sony a380 can shoot up to 2,5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony NEX-3	7
Sony a380	2,5

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony NEX-3. Unfortunately Sony a380 does not support recording movies and movie clips.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Sony a380 weighs 519 gr (equal to 1.14 lb) which is 75% heavier than Sony NEX-3 and its 297 gr (or 0.65 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony NEX-3	297 gr 0.65 lb
Sony a380	519 gr 1.14 lb