Nikon S8100 vs Olympus TG-3

Its time to look more closely at the Nikon S8100 and Olympus TG-3, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Waterproof by manufacturers Nikon and Olympus. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the S8100 (12MP) and TG-3 (16MP) but they use the same exact sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The S8100 was announced 4 years earlier than the TG-3 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving in to a complete comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the S8100 grades versus the TG-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon Coolpix S8100 and Olympus Tough TG-3. The whole galleries are viewable at Nikon S8100 Gallery and Olympus TG-3 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Nikon S8100 comes with physical measurements of 104mm x 60mm x 30mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 180 grams (0.40 lbs) whilst the Olympus TG-3 has measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") having a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs).

Compare the Nikon S8100 and Olympus TG-3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the S8100 vs the TG-3.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the S8100 and TG-3 is 93 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements merely by looking through specs. The photograph here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the S8100 and TG-3.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different megapixels. You should anticipate the Olympus TG-3 to result in greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The older S8100 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.