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 S9900 and Sony NEX-3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon S9900 has external dimensions of 112 x 66 x 40 mm (4.41 x 2.6 x 1.57″) and weighs 289 g (0.64 lb / 10.19 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 S9900 and the Sony NEX-3. Sony NEX-3 is 4mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Nikon S9900 but it is also 5mm wider. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon S9900 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 S9900 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 S9900 is 8g lighter than the Sony NEX-3 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.
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
Unfortunately neither the Nikon Coolpix S9900 nor Sony Alpha NEX-3 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Nikon S9900 and Sony NEX-3's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.
Sony NEX-3 features a
Tilting-only screen which is mostly only good for shooting from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Nikon S9900 sports a
Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful, especially for taking selfies and video.