Sony a1 vs Sony NEX-3

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a1 and Sony NEX-3. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a1 were released 2021 and Sony NEX-3 was released 2010. That is a 11 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a1 2021
Sony NEX-3 2010

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a1 has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Sony NEX-3 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a1 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Sony NEX-3 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

Sony a1 has a 50 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony NEX-3 has 14 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a1 50 MP
49766400 pixels
8640 x 5760
Sony NEX-3 14 MP
14033152 pixels
4592 x 3056

Sony a1 has a 255 % larger resolution than Sony NEX-3. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a1 has a larger ISO-range than Sony NEX-3. Sony a1 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Sony NEX-3 has 200 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a1 100-32000
Sony NEX-3 200-12800

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 a1
Lens compatibility chart for Sony NEX-3

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a1 can shoot up to 30 pictures per seconds and Sony NEX-3 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a1 30
Sony NEX-3 7

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a1 and Sony NEX-3 can shoot movies.

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 a1 weighs 737 gr (equal to 1.62 lb) which is 148% heavier than Sony NEX-3 and its 297 gr (or 0.65 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a1 737 gr
1.62 lb
Sony NEX-3 297 gr
0.65 lb

Sony a1 vs Sony NEX-3 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a1 and Sony NEX-3, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Name Sony a1 Sony NEX-3
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Release Date and Price
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Release Year 2021 2010
Release Date 2021-01-26 2010-05-11
MSRP 6499 USD 599 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Camera Type Mirrorless Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor Type Stacked CMOS CMOS
Resolution 8640 x 5760 pixels 4592 x 3056 pixels
Megapixels 50 MP 14 MP
Image Processor Dual Bionz XR Bionz
Image
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
ISO Range 100 - 32000 200 - 12800
White Balance Presets 7 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-shift)
No
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
LiveView
Focus Points 759 25
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1440000 920000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD TFT Xtra Fine LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic No Viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.9×
Viewfinder Resolution 9437184 N/A
Photography features
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Frames per second 30 fps 7 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash No No
Built-in Flash Range N/A N/A
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format H.264
H.265
XF-AVC
XAVC-S
XAVC-HS
MPEG4
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
7680 x 4320
1280 x 720
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Memory Card Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-In 802.11ac (Dual Band)
Yes
Eye-Fi Connected
Remote Control Yes (via Bluetooth or tethered PC) No
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a1
Sony NEX-3
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery & charger
Lithium-Ion NP-FW50 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 530 shots 330 shots
Width 129 mm 117 mm
Height 97 mm 62 mm
Depth 81 mm 33 mm
Weight 737 gram 297 gram