The founder of Sony mirrorless cameras: NEX-3

A review and photo examples using the SONY α NEX-3 mirrorless digital camera with a LEICA L39 screw-mount lens.

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Gallery
Review
Specification and more
Reference links

Gallery

The following lenses were used to take the example photos:

Yasuhara 50mm F2.8 L39 Screw Lens
Rollei Sonnar 40mm F2.8 L39 Screw Lens
Leica Hektor 28mm F6.3 L39 Screw Lens
Voigtländer Nokton 50mm F1.5 L39 Screw Lens

1．Overview

The SONY α NEX-3 is a mirrorless camera manufactured by Sony that was released in June 2010, at the same time as the SONY α NEX-5. The actual release date for the SONY α NEX-3 was one week earlier, on June 3rd.

The camera’s detailed specifications are listed in the table below, but its main features include a 14-megapixel APS-C sensor (23.6mm x 15.8mm), a 3-inch 920,000-dot rear LCD screen, and a front-facing size of 117 x 63 pixels, slightly larger than the SONY α NEX-5 but thinner.

The only difference between the SONY α NEX-3 and SONY α NEX-5 is that the SONY α NEX-3 cannot record full high-definition video (1920*1080).

The LCD monitor is vertically adjustable, and can be adjusted up to approximately 80 degrees and down to approximately 45 degrees, but it cannot be rotated 180 degrees for selfies or be adjusted as flexibly as a vari-angle LCD.

The battery is an NP-FW50.

An article on the SONY α NEX-5, which was released at the same time, can be found here.

2．Usability

The Sony α NEX-3’s camera specs aren’t a huge leap from the APS-C sensor SLRs of the time, but its compact body, along with the α NEX-5, embodied Sony’s pursuit of minimalist size for mirrorless cameras, and its arrival was a major shock.

With an APS-C sensor and 14 megapixels, it offers more than enough performance for snapshots using the autofocus lenses included in the kit.

I chose this camera as a way to play around with mounts. As you can see in the sample photos, I used it primarily with L39 screw-mount lenses. However, there are two weaknesses when using manual lenses with a mount adapter.

Focusing issues

The rear LCD screen on this camera seems to be overly sharp, making everything appear to be in focus.

Camera shake issues

The camera is thin and light, but it’s difficult to grip. The mechanical shutter’s large operating shock during shooting makes camera shake a common problem.

To overcome these two issues, check the focus by zooming in on the image before shooting. Camera shake is a fundamental part of photography, but you need to hold the camera firmly. This is also true for the Sony α NEX-5, which was released around the same time.

The NP-FW50 battery has a voltage of 7.2V and a capacity of 1020mAh, meaning its capacity is only 7.3Wh, making battery life poor.

The α NEX-3 features a smart accessory terminal on the accessory shoe.
The smart accessory terminal is explained in detail on the α NEX-5 page.

3．Summary

In conclusion , to sum up the SONY α NEX-3 is a camera that can be easily used with autofocus lenses, but is not suitable for use with manual focus lenses.

If you want to use manual focus lenses, cameras such as the SONY α NEX-7 or later, which have built-in electronic viewfinders, or the α7II or α6500, which have in-body image stabilization, are more suitable if you are concerned about camera shake.

Specifications, considerations, etc.

This series number was used for four generations: the Sony α NEX-3, Sony α NEX-C3, Sony α NEX-F3, and Sony α NEX-3N. The number 3 was no longer used after the introduction of four-digit series names such as the α5000.

The Sony α NEX-3 series was essentially a budget-friendly version, with each model having a different concept.

In contrast to the Sony α NEX-5, the camera size and design changed with each model, and while they were sold at low prices, development costs were high.

The features of the Sony α NEX-3 series can be summarized as follows:

The Sony α NEX-3 is a budget-friendly version of the Sony α NEX-5.
The Sony α NEX-C3 redefined the series as a compact model.
The Sony α NEX-F3 was a larger camera with updated features such as external EVF support and enhanced selfie functionality.
The Sony α NEX-3N is a return to compact models.

Model name	α NEX-3	α NEX-C3	α NEX-F3
Effective Pixel number	14.2-Megapixcels	16.1-Mega pixels	16.1-Mega pixels
Sensor size	APS-C 23.7 x 15.6mm	APS-C 23.7 x 15.6mm	APS-C 23.7 x 15.6mm
Back LCD　Pixels	3.0 inch 920,000 dots Top 80 degrees, bottom 45 degrees	3.0 inch 920,000 dots Top 80 degrees, bottom 45 degrees	3.0 inch 920,000 dots Top 180 degrees, bottom 13 degrees
EVF	×	×	FDA-EV1S
Accessory shoe	Smart Accessory Terminal	Smart Accessory Terminal	Smart Accessory Terminal2
Max shutter speed	1/4000	1/4000	1/4000
Sensor shutter	×	×	×
Shake reducrtion	×	×	×
Battery	NP-FW50	NP-FW50	NP-FW50
Touch panel	×	×	×
Multi / Micro USB	○	○	○
USB Type-C	×	×	×
WIFI	×	×	×
NFC	×	×	×
Bluetooth	×	×	×
AF method	Contrast	Contrast	Contrast
Recorded media	MS-Pro SDXC	MS-Pro SDXC	MS-Pro SDXC
Release date	2010.6	2011.6	2012.6
Size	117 x 63 x 33	110 x 60 x 33	117 x 67 x 41
Weight (body only)	229	225	255
Color	Black, White, Pink, Red	Black, Silver, Pink	Black, White, Pink

Options

HVL-F20S (Flash)
LA Series Mount Adapter
Accessory Kit
Strap
Case

Reference links

Official product introduction for the NEX-3D digital single-lens camera
SONY α NEX compatible accessories
SONY α NEX-7・Shige’s hobby
SONY α NEX-6・Shige’s hobby
SONY α NEX-5・Shige’s hobby
SONY α7・Shige’s hobby
SONY α7 Sii・Shige’s hobby
Rollei Sonnar 40mm・Shige’s hobby
HEKTOR 28mm・Shige’s hobby
NOKTON 50mm F1.5・Shige’s hobby

Update history

2025.8.22