Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus TG-3

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-P1 versus Olympus TG-3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Waterproof and both are offered by Olympus. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and TG-3 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and TG-3 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was introduced 5 years before the TG-3 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-P1 grades vs the TG-3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Olympus Tough TG-3. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Olympus TG-3 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-P1 offers outer dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Olympus TG-3 has specifications of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") with a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 versus Olympus TG-3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the E-P1 against the TG-3.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and TG-3 is 86 and 90 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to envision the difference between sensor sizing just by reading through specs. The photograph underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and TG-3.

All in all, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 using its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus TG-3 will give more detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.