Olympus E-PL1 vs Olympus Tough-3000

Here is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus Tough-3000, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Waterproof and both of them are created by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-PL1 (12MP) and the Tough-3000 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and Tough-3000 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL1 was announced 5 months later than the Tough-3000 so they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the E-PL1 scores versus the Tough-3000 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL1 & Olympus Stylus Tough-3000. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery & Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1 features physical dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Olympus Tough-3000 has proportions of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL1 and Olympus Tough-3000 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL1 compared to the Tough-3000.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1 and Tough-3000 is 86 and 94 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to envision the gap in sensor sizing merely by going through technical specs. The visual underneath will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and Tough-3000.

As you have seen, both cameras have the same resolution but not the same sensor sizing. The E-PL1 comes with the larger sensor which will make getting shallower depth of field less difficult.