Skip to main content

With a big APS-C sensor, Sony’s NEX-3N entry-level mirrorless cam is anything but basic

NEX-3N_wSELP1650_BK_1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sony has officially announced the availability and pricing of the new Alpha NEX-3N Compact System (mirrorless) Camera in the U.S. Boasting it as the “world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens with an APS-C size sensor,” the camera, which was unveiled in other global regions last week, will go on sale in April for $500 (including a kit 16-50mm motorized zoom lens).

The 16.1-megapixel NEX-3N, which succeeds the NEX-F3 at the entry-level, is designed for users stepping up from a point-and-shoot but aren’t inclined to buy a DSLR or entry-DSLR users who want to move into a compact system that uses interchangeable lenses. The NEX-3N features a sensor used in many entry-level and midrange DSLRS, offering a max ISO of 16,000; Sony’s new BIONZ image processor engine allows for area-specific noise reduction for better low-light performance; a 180-degree tilting LCD (not touch capable); a grip for improved hold; a zoom lever commonly found in point-and-shoots; three-shot EV bracketing; a built-in flash; and Auto Object Framing that “identifies the main object of a scene and crops photo automatically around it for professional-style composition,” according to Sony.

The kit lens has a small design that helps keep the camera compact. The NEX-3N will be available in black or white.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Les Shu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I am formerly a senior editor at Digital Trends. I bring with me more than a decade of tech and lifestyle journalism…
Fujifilm’s most-hyped camera has just started shipping
Fujifilm's X100VI camera, released in 2024.

The latest iteration of Fujifilm’s X100 camera started shipping on Wednesday.

The X100VI is -- as the name cleverly suggests -- the sixth in the series. Early reviews have been mostly positive as the camera builds on the successes of the already impressive earlier models going all the way back to the original X100, which launched in 2011.

Read more
How to resize an image on Mac, Windows, and a Chromebook
Windows 11 set up on a computer.

Resizing an image is something we’re all going to have to do at some point in our digital lives. And whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or you’re rocking a Chromebook, there are ways to scale images up and down on each PC. Fortunately, these are all relatively simple methods too.

Read more
Watch an acclaimed director use the iPhone 15 Pro to shoot a movie
acclaimed director uses iphone 15 to shoot movie shot on pro midnight

Shot on iPhone 15 Pro | Midnight | Apple

As part of its long-running Shot on iPhone series, Apple recently handed acclaimed Japanese director Takashi Miike (Audition, 13 Assassins, The Happiness of the Katakuris) an iPhone 15 Pro to shoot a short film.

Read more