Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Nikon S30 and Sony NEX-3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon S30 has external dimensions of 102 x 65 x 40 mm (4.02 x 2.56 x 1.57″) and weighs 214 g (0.47 lb / 7.55 oz) (including batteries). Sony NEX-3 has external dimensions of 117 x 62 x 33 mm (4.61 x 2.44 x 1.3″) and weighs 297 g (0.65 lb / 10.48 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Nikon S30 and the Sony NEX-3. Sony NEX-3 is 3mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Nikon S30 but it is also 15mm wider. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S30 has a built-in lens but Sony NEX-3 doesn't. Once you put a lens on NEX-3, its thickness will increase significantly.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon S30 and Sony NEX-3.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Nikon S30 is significantly lighter (83g ) than the Sony NEX-3 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on NEX-3, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
With its weather-sealed body, we believe that the S30 has a big advantage over the NEX-3 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.
LCD Screen Size and Features
Sony NEX-3's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Nikon S30's 2.7" screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Sony NEX-3 LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Nikon S30 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to NEX-3.