Sony Alpha NEX-C3

The NEX-C3 is a accurate amalgam of DSLR and bunched camera. It looks like a point-and-shoot camera, but its 16-megapixel sensor is actual agnate to the one in the Sony A580, and the two cameras allotment abounding aspects of operation.

These accommodate able cutting modes that go above the accepted arena presets and artistic filters. It can stitch a panorama calm from a admission of frames, and alike actualize a 3D panorama, capitalising on the bit-by-bit displacement of the camera as it’s rotated. Another approach captures six frames, again aligns and merges them to abate babble in actual low light.

Standard arena presets are able-bodied presented, with sample photos and short, bright descriptions to explain their function. When adjusting settings in Auto mode, the camera uses expressions such as “brightness” and “background defocus” rather than added accepted terms.

These appearance and the absence of buttons beggarly the NEX-C3 ability address to point-and-shoot users added than accomplished photographers. However, switching to program, breach priority, bang antecedence or chiral approach transforms the controls into added accepted fare. Adjusting settings is initially laborious, but shortcuts can be assigned for quick admission to up to eight settings.  It’s account the effort, as the NEX-C3’s Auto approach doesn’t accomplish the best of its sensor’s low babble performance. Automated exposures are bound to ISO 1600, but the camera is able of acceptable after-effects all the way up to 6400. The beam assemblage is advertisement – and is acceptable to break in the box – so calm shots generally appeal actual fast ISO speeds. The alone way to admission them is to adventure abroad from Auto approach and acclimatize ISO manually.

The NEX-C3’s achievement is a big advance on the NEX-3, which kept us cat-and-mouse for about three abnormal amid shots on accepted settings. The NEX-C3 gets this bottomward to beneath a second. Continuous achievement charcoal absorbing at 5.5fps, with abundant absorber for 17 JPEGs or six RAW shots afore achievement avalanche to the acceleration of the card.

Autofocus acceleration is still weak, though. It’s adamantine for a adverse ascertain arrangement such as this to attempt with appearance ascertain autofocus acclimated in DSLRs, but Panasonic’s G Series manages it. The NEX-C3 is banal by comparison, and in absolutely automated mode, absolutely a few shots focused on the background, rather than our advised subject. Otherwise, angel affection is consistently excellent. Babble levels are as low as the best DSLRs at this price, and colours are affluent and flattering. Photos from the 18-55mm lens aren’t absolutely as aciculate as we'd like, though.

Neither could the 720p videos attempt with the 1080p footage from Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GF3. The lens focused calmly and silently – giving above after-effects to any DSLR – but the abridgement of ascendancy over the focus point for videos accepted frustrating. We additionally noticed bouncing moiré arrest on dense, repeating patterns such as artery and clothing.

It’s boxy allotment amid the NEX-C3 and the Panasonic DMC-GF3. The NEX-C3 takes above photos in low light, while the DMC-GF3’s controls and videos are better. If advance came to shove, though, we’d accept the Sony.