First Up: Sony NEX C3

Yesterday I talked about comparing some of the newest mirrorless cameras from Sony, Panasonic, and Olympus. Again even though the MILCs (Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras) haven't caught on in the US yet, they have taken a healthy bite out of DSLR sales in Asia.  When it comes to Sony everyone has been talking about the NEX-7 and it's scary powerful 24 megapixel APS-C sensor. The NEX 5n has been somewhat of a dark-horse with its measly (sarcasm) 16 megapixels. Yet I decided to pick a camera even lower than the somewhat ignored NEX 5n. The NEX C3 is the baby of the Sony mirrorless lineup so I thought reviewing it would help emphasize the fact that even "low-end" cameras with APS-C sized sensors have an image quality advantage over some more expensive cameras with micro 4/3rds sensors. Even with all the bells and whistles Panasonic and Olympus want to tell you about, there is no replacement for a larger imaging sensor. Yes the old adage is true, size matters baby! Still it isn't the end all be all for photography. Let's say you have a camera with a full frame sensor, but the entire body was covered in prickly thorns and the buttons/menus were in a language you didn't understand. Chances are you wouldn't use that camera very often. So even though this is just me using something silly as an extreme example, the point is that while image quality is important, there are other factors that come into play.  So a lot of what you think of a camera will be based on what you intend to use it for and how much bulk/weight you can tolerate.  If people only cared about image quality, we'd all still be walking around with giant Graflex 4x5" SLR film cameras.   I view the NEX C3 as an amateur/consumer camera so a nice stroll through Manhattan seemed like a perfectly fair place for a test run.  Click 'MORE' to read on and look at how the NEX C3 did overall.

Physical Handling and Use

The first NEX 3 was groundbreaking in that it was the smallest interchangeable lens camera to have a large APS-C sensor inside. Still it seemed more like a playstation controller than a camera that I would allow myself to be seen with in public. Well the NEX C3 hasn't entirely changed that odd/futuristic form factor, but the edges are rounded down a bit more and the overall size and weight of the camera has decreased. The small thumb grip on the back is useful for people with slightly larger hands. People with huge hands will never find this camera comfortable to hold and they should consider something like the Panasonic GH2 which has a beefier grip.  Sony's choice to include the pop-up flash as an external accessory is something I don't mind. I know some will be complaining about losing it, but if you are really that concerned, just screw it on and leave it be. It really isn't that big and I can't think of a camera bag that it wouldn't fit in because it has the pop-up flash attached. The NEX C3 is in the class of consumer level cameras and it should have a pop-up flash, which is why I am baffled by the choice by Olympus to remove it from the E-PL3. An awkwardly over-sized kit lens is the one problem with having such a large sensor in a small camera body. The NEX C3 is so small that the 18-55 kit lens makes the camera very front heavy. That is a small complaint though and for those who care the major improvement in image quality will be more than worth it. Overall the NEX C3 is built extremely well for a $600 camera and even though some of it is plastic, it feels sturdy. Comparatively speaking, the NEX C3 makes the Panasonic GF3 look and feel like a Happy Meal toy. For example I can twist the extended barrel of the NEX 18-55 pretty darn hard (past the point it is supposed to extend) and only hear some slight cracking noises. If I applied the same force to most Panasonic or Olympus lenses, they would be toast. I know many tech-geeks out there claim to keep their gear in fabulous condition, but what that usually means is "Crap I can't believe I bought this because I don't use it that much." I love stuff that's built well because to me a little camera like this is meant to be thrown on the backseat/floor of your car and brought around everywhere, not worshiped in the packaging it came in.

Menus/Controls

As far as camera operation it is identical to the original NEX cameras, lots of button mashing and the camera displaying unnecessary text explaining what mode you are in. Although I find this to be annoying, I suppose it is a useful feature for novices and that is who this camera is marketed towards. Normally I would tell people that touch screen controls are pointless/stupid on fully capable cameras. However, the NEX C3 is not even close to being fully capable. Having to go into a menu to switch from one shooting mode to the next is unacceptable. I understand Sony's desire to make this camera seem less intimidating to consumers. To a degree I applaud this move because for some reason  the simple words "interchangeable lens" scare the daylights out of  Americans and anything to make it more palatable is a good selling point.   Sony shouldn't make this kind of camera WITHOUT a touch screen. It simply doesn't have the kind of physical/tactile controls that a normal camera would/should, so in order to compensate it really needs that finishing touch. Wow that was awful. Anyway you're basically getting more of the same with NEX C3 and in regards to the menus and controls, I must say to Sony, "Missed it by that much!"  Once you get the hang of the Sony menus they aren't so difficult to navigate, but it is quite time consuming needing to dig through an entire menu just to change white balance.  This is what disappoints me with camera manufacturers.  They are so concerned with creating distinctions between models that they impede the ability of photographers to have a better product at a lower price.  This really isn't a concern for people who are just looking to go out and buy a camera to leave on auto-mode, but can someone please make an entry-level camera that has a couple extra buttons for directly changing settings?

[caption id="attachment_5189" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="I typically don't photograph flowers, but thought I would show another sample of the new 30mm f/3.5 macro lens for NEX cameras"][/caption]

Image Quality

This is the part where I get to surprise everyone to an extent. As expected the image quality of the NEX C3 trounces the Panasonic and Olympus competition. Do I have to keep repeating myself? Size matters! I give Panasonic credit for trying to go for higher resolution and combat the unavoidable noise of the 4/3 sized sensor, but Olympus really needs to get their butts into gear. The newest E-P3 has the same sensor that the original E-P and E-PL1 series cameras had. Sony boosted the megapixels in the NEX C3 up to 16, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Noise control is excellent for a $600 camera. This is the surprise: The noise levels on the NEX C3 beat out the big bad scary 24 megapixel Sony a77. Who would have thought the baby of Sony's lineup would perform better than their new APS-C flagship model? The original NEX3 is about on par with the noise/high ISO performance of the new a77 and Sony did a great job with the C3 and from what I've read, the NEX 5n is also excellent.  I will have to see for myself when we get the camera. It is important to applaud them for this and perhaps scold them for trying to jam 24 million pixels onto an APS-C sized sensor. While Sony has started meeting the demands of actual photographers and not gear heads, they still have some work/research to do. As far as video quality goes, the NEX C3 has your standard 720p at 30fps without any true manual controls. You can boost exposure compensation while shooting, but doing this in the dark creates for very grainy looking video that only looks good on the back of the camera. Right now Sony holds this feature back to encourage the purchase of an NEX 5n, but I can only see 720p HD sticking around on these cameras for so long. Eventually someone will pony up and grow a pair by putting 1080p in an entry level camera. Oh wait Nikon already did that in the D3100.  For the average consumer it isn't a big deal as most people just post their videos to youtube or watch them at home, but it would be a nice feature to have.

Extra Features/Functionality

Well I have to say it is quite lame and disappointing that the awesome new OLED electronic viewfinder only works with the NEX 5n, not the C3, or any of the previous models. That has always been a truly justifiable complaint against the NEX series. It is also a shame that Sony cut back on the 5/7 (with/without continuous AF) frames per second burst rate that the original NEX 3 had! Wow, they really cut one of the camera's legs off. The NEX C3 only shoots at 2.5/5.5 frames per second depending on whether or not you are using continuous AF. Speaking of the AF, Sony's contrast detect AF is getting a little long in the tooth. Both Panasonic and Olympus have come up with brilliant lightning fast solutions for their MILCs. Hopefully the NEX 7 will boast a faster AF system because they are falling behind in that regard. Even the new (and much criticized) Nikon 1 system can brag that it uses phase detect AF which is much faster and far more accurate. Another thing I have to complain about is the battery life. It is only rated to about 400 shots,  but to be fair that is about the same as most point and shoots. This is no industry secret and I've complained about NEX/Sony battery life many times before. They keep using the same darn battery in all of the recent NEX and a-series DSLR/Ts and you can watch it drain faster than your iPhone battery, but it also charges much slower. Again to be fair this is a consumer camera so I really can't kill it when it comes to battery life. For most people it will be plenty and getting another battery is always an option, but Sony should really start using better battery technology in their higher-end cameras. As far as the positives go for the NEX C3 there are many for the consumers who aren't masters of photography. The NEX series cameras are probably the easiest to use out of all mirrorless cameras. They finally jumped on board with Panasonic and Olympus by including some new picture effects, my favorite being "Toy Camera". The other modes include other catchy/trendy effects such as retro, selective color, posterIzation, and high contrast monochrome. Also included are the Sweep Panorama in 2D and 3D, Auto HDR, Handheld Twilight and Anti Motion Blur modes that are found on almost every other Sony camera. I think Sony addresses an important market with these features and it is nice that each feature is explained on the camera, but I need to see if there is a way to turn that part off. As usual Sony provides an excellent LCD screen for shooting. Typically traditionalists would argue that LCD quality isn't so important because you shouldn't be looking at the LCD that much anyway. This is a good argument and I see too many people looking at their LCD after every photograph they take. However when you don't have the option for a viewfinder, a nice high contrast/sharp LCD is critical.

Conclusion

If you've read our blog for a while, you won't be surprised to find out that I typically do not go along with the norm or the general consensus when it comes to evaluating cameras. So when a bunch of other review sites/blogs praised the NEX C3 I was instantly skeptical. $600 cameras with this kind of image quality were unheard of, but in this day and age that has changed. While I have been somewhat critical of the NEX C3, it is still an amazing consumer camera. If you're one of the people out there who say, "My point and shoot takes good pictures outside, but all of my inside shots come out blurry and I don't want a DSLR" this may be the camera for you. Despite some minor shortcomings, the NEX C3 is an incredible pound for pound camera. Yet compared to a micro 4/3rds camera, the lenses are much bigger, that can't be ignored. However if you care more about image quality than portability, this shouldn't be a factor. Its no industry secret that larger sensors produce higher quality images. In my opinion none of the manufacturers have perfected the mirrorless camera system yet and that shouldn't come as a shock to anyone because the technology is still only a few years old. I'm sure one day we're going to look back on these cameras and laugh about the good old days, but for now the NEX C3 is a very strong option for anyone that is looking for a small camera that is capable of producing DSLR quality images. Although micro 4/3rd camera manufacturers like to use that line too, its just simply not true.  APS-C cameras are generally one or more stops better in low-light and have much better dynamic range.  So my final verdict is:  If you have a point and shoot camera and want to step up to something that will truly take better photos in low light, the NEX C3 is a viable option.  If you care more about portability, consider an alternative.  Also if you want faster shooting speeds, manual video control, and even better noise control, the NEX 5n may be right up your alley.  Stay tuned as I review the Panasonic GF3 and Olympus E-P3 next week!