I have been waiting a lifetime for this camera and it was worth the wait! It provides excellent quality shots in the smallest possible sized body. I am a point-and-shoot user who has been disappointed with the photo quality that comes from even expensive point-and-shoot cameras but who has never bought a DSLR because I knew I would never want to lug one around. If this describes you, then this is your perfect camera. Or, if you own a DSLR and use 5% or less of the features on your camera, this is also the camera for you. On the other hand, if you're a skilled DSLR user, skip this camera because you'll be frustrated the compromises that make this camera a smart choice for the average consumer.

Why is this camera "perfect" if you're a typical or even advanced point-and-shoot user?

COMPARED WITH POINT-AND-SHOOTS, you'll immediately see the following improvements:
- Low light/indoor shots are dramatically better
- Quicker shutter response time
-... Read more

Mirrorless SLR's are the current hot thing. I've done wedding photography for years on the side, and when I want to be serious about taking pictures I lug a bag full of pro-level lenses and cameras around. Frankly, that gets old, especially when you're on vacation. I've been hoping for quite a while to find a camera that would offer SLR-like quality in a smaller form factor that would allow it to be carried around all day with minimal effort. I owned a Panasonic LX-2 and more recently a Canon Powershot S90, and while both were decent cameras, I never really fell in love with their images.

The NEX-3 is a classic case of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. On the upside, the sensor is excellent, even by modern SLR standards. You're not quite on the cutting edge (think Pentax K-5), but you're pretty darn close - certainly exceeding the previous generation of SLR sensors. With a plethora of adapters for other lenses, high quality glass is also available, and can produce some... Read more

The reviewer above did an excellent review, so mine will pale in comparison. I bought this camera the very first day it was available (June 29) and have been playing around with it since. It takes beautiful low light photos, even without a tripod, which I'm very pleased with. I have yet to use the flash that came with it.

Anyway, great camera, don't regret my purchase... The only downside that I want to point out is the battery life. I realize the big screen and the continuous autofocus uses up a lot of power, but this camera REALLY sucks up battery power. If you went out for a day of shooting on a fully charged battery, you will need an extra. The camera seems to even suck up a lot of power when it's not even on. There is new firmware that claims to reduce battery consumption when off, so hopefully that will be an improvement. Which leads to another downside, which is that firmware is only available for Windows and not Mac.

Other than that, beautiful beautiful... Read more