Sony NEX-3 has a
14.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor. On the other hand, Sony NEX-7 has a
24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony NEX-7's sensor provides 10MP more than Sony NEX-3's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the NEX-3 and NEX-7 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony NEX-3 and Sony NEX-7 Cameras
Sony NEX-3 and Sony NEX-7 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-3 and Sony NEX-7 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that NEX-7 has a better overall score of 81, 13 points higher compared to NEX-3's score of 68.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony NEX-3
68
22.1 bits
12.0 Evs
830 ISO
Sony NEX-7
81
24.1 bits
13.4 Evs
1016 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Sony NEX-3
or the
Sony NEX-7 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
