Sony's smallest NEX of 2013 — 16MP APS-C entry mirrorless.
The Sony NEX-3N arrived in 2013 as the last entry-level NEX before Sony renamed the line, replacing the NEX-F3 and handing over to the A5000 a year later. At launch Sony billed it as the smallest and lightest APS-C interchangeable-lens camera.
It carries a 16.1-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, ISO 200-16000, contrast-detect autofocus with 25 areas, 4 frames per second and 1080i50 AVCHD video. A zoom lever around the shutter release drives power-zoom lenses such as the 16-50mm kit, the 3-inch 460k-dot LCD flips 180 degrees upward, the flash is built in and the body weighs about 269g with battery.
Against the F3 it trims size and adds the compact-style zoom lever, though the screen drops resolution and loses Tri-Navi controls. Its small footprint with the collapsing 16-50mm makes it one of the most pocketable APS-C kits, and clean examples appeal to travellers and to infrared converters alike.
The 16-50mm power zoom is the usual weak point: listen for grinding and check the barrel extends straight. Confirm the flip screen ribbon and built-in flash work, and expect no viewfinder or hot shoe at all. Boxed kits with low shutter counts fetch modest premiums over bare bodies.