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 Olympus SP-600 UZ and Sony NEX-3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus SP-600 UZ has external dimensions of 110 x 90 x 91 mm (4.33 x 3.54 x 3.58″) and weighs 455 g (1.00 lb / 16.05 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 Olympus SP-600 UZ and the Sony NEX-3. Sony NEX-3 is 28mm shorter and 58mm thinner than Olympus SP-600 UZ but it is also 7mm wider. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Olympus SP-600 UZ 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 Olympus SP-600 UZ and Sony NEX-3.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Sony NEX-3 is significantly lighter (158g ) than the Olympus SP-600 UZ 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
Unfortunately neither the Olympus SP-600 UZ 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
Sony NEX-3's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Olympus SP-600 UZ'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, Olympus SP-600 UZ has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to NEX-3.