A Digital SLR offers power, image quality and clarity several times better than any point-and-shoot camera along with features that allow you to customize elements like aperture and exposure while taking the actual picture. Many of them also offer physical features like adjustable LCD viewfinder screens for shots with difficult angles and interchangeable lens for close-up shots to wide-angle shots to ultra-zoom shots. However, most DSLRs are big, bulky and not very user-friendly unlike point-and-shoot cameras that are ultra-compact, lightweight and as easy to use as pointing and shooting. The Sony Alpha NEX-3 takes all of the good qualities for both a DSLR and a point-and-shoot camera and fuses it into one awesome digital camera.
Granted, the Sony Alpha NEX-3 isn't the first ultra-compact digital camera with interchangeable lens. However it does offer a number of qualities which are unlike any other digital camera of its class. The first is the technology used behind it, instead of a micro-four thirds image sensor, the Alpha NEX-3 uses a larger APS-C sensor, which is exactly what an actual DSLR uses so you get the same level of image quality and power as a DSLR. The second is that the camera is only slightly larger than most point-and-shoots with a very comfortable DSLR grip. It has heft without being heavy and feels solid despite being able to fit into any coat pocket or handbag.
Interchangeable Lens Camcorder
The Sony Alpha NEX-3 looks unique; unlike any digital camera or DSLR currently in the market, which is a good thing because it just looks awesome. Controls are a bit more limited compared to a traditional DSLR but you can still adjust aperture while taking pictures or change the NEX lens to a more suitable NEX lens. For now there are only a few NEX lenses but this number will increase soon. Thankfully, the NEX lenses are also better and more lightweight than their predecessors, so they make good replacements. The ultra-sharp LCD screen is fully adjustable so you can tilt it up or down as you require, making it very easy to take overhead and underhand shots.
Features and image quality are similarly high-end. Image quality is crystal clear with each and every detail caught in high definition. Unlike a DSLR, the camera includes an easy to use advanced panoramic mode, anti-motion blur mode and HDR mode. Like a DSLR the camera has no shutter lag, taking pictures the instant you press the shutter button and it is fast, while the custom interface is a marvel to use. Video looks great with up to 720p HD at 30 frames per second and the camera lets you use either Sony's Memory Stick Pro Duo cards or generic SDHC and SDXC cards. Overall, the Sony Alpha NEX-3 is an awesome digital camera to have for anyone with DSLR aspirations. It combines the best of a DSLR into the best of a compact point-and-shoot. It isn't the highest-end model in the NEX range though but its features are powerful enough to satisfy most users and professional
Sony Alpha NEX-3 Compact DSLR Camera - Best of Both Worlds