Both Sony NEX-C3 and Nikon D5100 have APS-C sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.
Below you can see the NEX-C3 and D5100 sensor size comparison.
Sony NEX-C3 and Nikon D5100 have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Sony NEX-C3 and Nikon D5100 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that D5100 has a better overall score of 80, 7 points higher compared to NEX-C3's score of 73.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Sony NEX-C3 |
73 |
22.7 bits |
12.2 Evs |
1083 ISO |
Nikon D5100 |
80 |
23.5 bits |
13.6 Evs |
1183 ISO |