There are several scenarios in the camera world today, but two scenarios are standing out right now. One, people with compact cameras want more out of it, and are turning towards the larger sensors that DSLRs offer, as a step up from their smaller compacts. Two, big DSLR owners are turning to smaller bodies to relieve their backs from carrying having to carry heavy camera bodies around, and yet are still expecting to get high quality pictures every time, every shot. The obvious solution here is to get the new Sony NEX line of cameras, where small bodies and high image quality marry together, and the new C3 is the latest addition to the family
Small!
Sony is a master of shrinking everything down, and it shows with the C3. Where the previous NEX3 is already a small beast, the C3 is even smaller – it is about 15-percent smaller than the diminutive NEX3. The only reason it is not any smaller is due to the battery (which it shares with its other NEX siblings) and the lens mount. Other than that, the camera is smaller than the others before it. Even so, there were not many sacrifices in terms of space that were made to create the C3.
Big Sensor
You still get the excellent APS-C sensor in the NEX C3. While the lens is not new, it is still quite adequate for day-to-day usage of the camera. Sadly, you still get the screw-in flash as with the rest of the NEX line, although Sony is coming up with a new larger flash that should be beefier than the one supplied with the camera. No buttons were lost in the redesign, although the rounded soft keys are now oblong, to fit the camera layout better. The scroll wheel is still here, as well as the movie record button.
Tilting Screen is the best!
The screen itself has gone through a major revision however. It is still using the TruBlack screen as its siblings, but it is now thinner than the NEX3 screen. This allows the body itself to be thinner, and as a result, lighter. The body itself also has gone through some minor re-construction as it is now made out of three pieces rather than two like previously.
Weird Ergonomics
Using the C3 is like the NEX3, thus you have to hold the camera lens in your left hand. Thankfully the ergonomics are sound when held this way. Even so, anyone with a big hand will have a problem holding the camera in place. The grip at the front can help negate this to a certain degree however.
