Olympus E-420 vs Olympus Tough-3000

Lets examine more in depth at the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus Tough-3000, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Waterproof and both are built by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the Tough-3000 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the E-420 (Four Thirds) and Tough-3000 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The E-420 was unveiled 18 months earlier than the Tough-3000 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-420 grades versus the Tough-3000 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 and Olympus Stylus Tough-3000. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-420 enjoys outside measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus Tough-3000 has specifications of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus Tough-3000 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the E-420 against the Tough-3000.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and Tough-3000 is 77 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to imagine the difference in sensor measurements just by seeing specs. The photograph below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and Tough-3000.

All in all, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-420 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Olympus Tough-3000 will show more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.