My father in law and the Sony NEX 3n

A few days ago my father in law wanted my help buying a camera.  He wanted something smallish that would take great photos.  Henry's Outlet Centre had the very nice (and very stylish) Fuji XF-1 for just $225, which seemed like a great deal, given MSRP is $499, and I thought this would suit him perfectly.  So in we went, expecting to buy it, but we were in for a surprise....

We found that the Sony NEX 3n with the extra compact 16-50mm power zoom lens was on sale for $299.  This seemed like a screaming deal, given that they are normally an already cheap $499 and have only just been launched a couple months ago.  Alone the lens retails for $330.

Sony NEX 5n with Sigma 19mm f2.8

While the Fuji XF-1 is a good camera, the Sony NEX 3n is a big step up in terms of image quality and especially low light performance.  The 16mp APS-C sensor is truly excellent in low light, and can capture tons of detail, if the lens you're using can resolve that far. So I talked him into spending the extra $75, and he's come away with an amazing camera for not a lot of money.

Compared to my NEX 5n, it is slightly bigger and has a built in flash, but misses out on the high resolution touch screen and a few other features.

Sony NEX 5n with Minolta 135mm f4 LTM

 While I don't think my father in law will stray far from auto mode, the NEX 3n allows him to take his photography a long way if he so chooses.  All in all, a great purchase.