Sony NEX-C3 Performance

The Sony NEX-C3's performance was a mixed bagged in our tests.

Startup and shut-down times were much slower than those for most SLRs, but reasonable for a CSC. The dust reduction system runs at each shut-down, or can be activated manually. Buffer clearing times were somewhat slow considering the shallow buffers.

Play to Record delay was pretty good, but Record to Play was quite slow.

The Sony NEX-C3 showed full-autofocus shutter lag (with the subject at a fixed distance) that ranged from 0.430 second at wide angle to 0.424 second at full telephoto when using the 18-55mm kit lens in Single-area AF mode. That's a little faster than the average CSC. Switching to Multi-area mode increased lag slightly to 0.456 second at wide angle.

With the flash enabled, the NEX-C3's full AF shutter lag increased to 0.710s, to account for the preflash metering. Shutter lag was 0.499 second in continuous mode AF. When manually focused, the Sony NEX-C3's lag time dropped to 0.226 second, which is a bit slower than most cameras in manual focus mode. The NEX-C3's prefocused lag time was 0.114 second, which is a bit slower than most CSC models.

While slower than most SLRs using an optical viewfinder, autofocus speeds and shutter lag are reasonable for a CSC, though not as fast as the latest generation of bodies and lenses from Olympus and Panasonic.

To minimize the effect of different lens' focusing speed, we test AF-active shutter lag with the lens already set to the correct focal distance. We also use the same Sigma 70mm f/2.8 macro with every camera (on all platforms except Four Thirds/Micro Four Thirds, Samsung NX, Sony E-mount, and Nikon consumer models lacking an in-body focus motor), to further reduce variation, and because our tests showed that focus-determination time with this lens was close to the fastest, across multiple camera bodies from different manufacturers. Being an older design with a non-ultrasonic motor, it wouldn't be the fastest at slewing from one focus setting to another, but that's exactly the reason we measure focus determination speed, which is primarily a function of the camera body, vs focus adjustment speed, which is primarily a function of the lens.

Single-shot cycle times were a bit sluggish for its class, ranging from 0.97 to 0.94 second for the file types and quality we tested (large/fine JPEG, RAW, and RAW+ large/fine JPEG). Continuous Hi mode was however quite fast, at about 5.5 frames per second no matter the file type and quality. A low speed continuous mode rated at 2.5 frames per second is also available, however we didn't test that.

Buffer depth for large/fine JPEGs was a bit shallow, at only 10 frames. Note, though, that our test target for this was designed to be difficult to compress, so JPEG burst lengths should be longer with typical subjects. When shooting with RAW files, buffer depth dropped to only 6 frames.

The flash was able to recycle from a full discharge in 2.6 seconds, which is pretty good.

Download speeds were very fast, quick enough that you won't feel the need for a separate card reader, even with large memory cards. (Note that this test was performed with a SanDisk Extreme III 30 MB/sec SD card: Slower cards would likely show slower transfer times.)

Bottom line, the Sony NEX-C3's performance was a mixed bagged. Full autofocus is a bit slow compared to most SLRs and the latest CSCs from Olympus and Panasonic, but pretty good for its class and on par with most digicams. Startup and single-shot cycle times were a bit slow, but Continuous Hi mode is pretty fast, making the NEX-C3 suitable for capturing most subjects including some action shots, as long as long bursts aren't required.

Battery
Good battery life for a Compact System Camera.

The Sony NEX-C3 uses a custom rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack for power, and comes with both a single battery and charger. The battery is rated for 400 shots per charge using the CIPA standard, which includes 50% flash shots with the detachable flash. Battery life is above average for a CSC, but we do recommend getting a second battery for your NEX-C3 if you plan any extended outings.

The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on a fully-charged rechargeable battery), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))

Storage
The Sony NEX-C3 accepts Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo/PRO-HG HX Duo or SD/SDHC/SDHX memory cards, and does not ship with a card.

We strongly recommend buying a fast, large capacity Memory Stick PRO Duo or SDHC/SDXC memory card at least a 4GB card, preferably 8GB or larger, to give yourself extra space for extended outings, or when shooting RAW or video files. (Check the shopping link above, memory cards are really cheap these days, so no reason to skimp.)