Sony a5000 has a
20.0MP APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Sony NEX-3 has a
14.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony a5000's sensor provides 6MP 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 a5000 and NEX-3 sensor size comparison.
Sony a5000 and Sony NEX-3 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
Both Sony a5000 and Sony NEX-3 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, a5000 has scored 79, 11 points higher than NEX-3.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Sony a5000 |
79 |
23.8 bits |
13.0 Evs |
1089 ISO |
Sony NEX-3 |
68 |
22.1 bits |
12.0 Evs |
830 ISO |