Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-3
85 Imaging
47 Features
47 Overall
47
90 Imaging
40 Features
46 Overall
42
Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 362g - 114 x 72 x 42mm
- Announced February 2011
- Older Model is Olympus E-PL1s
- New Model is Olympus E-PL3
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
- 247g - 112 x 66 x 31mm
- Announced March 2014
- Successor is Olympus TG-4
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Below is a detailed review of the Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof and both of them are built by Olympus. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and TG-3 (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and TG-3 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe E-PL2 was released 4 years prior to the TG-3 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera.
Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-PL2 grades vs the TG-3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Olympus Tough TG-3. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Olympus TG-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL2 over the Olympus TG-3
| E-PL2 | TG-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Dial exact focusing |
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Olympus E-PL2
| TG-3 | E-PL2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | March 2014 | February 2011 | More recent by 38 months |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL2 and Olympus TG-3
| E-PL2 | TG-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Display size | 3" | 3" | Same display measurement | |
| Display resolution | 460k | 460k | Exact same display resolution | |
| Selfie screen | Neither offers selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Neither offers Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-3 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL2 offers exterior measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) whilst the Olympus TG-3 has dimensions of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") and a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-PL2 and the TG-3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and TG-3 is 85 and 90 respectively.
Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-3 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it can be tough to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements only by viewing specs. The graphic here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL2 and TG-3.
As you can plainly see, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus TG-3 will result in extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The older E-PL2 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.
Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-3 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PL2 | Olympus Tough TG-3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL2 | Olympus Tough TG-3 |
| Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Waterproof |
| Announced | 2011-02-11 | 2014-03-31 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Truepic V | TruePic VII |
| Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12MP | 16MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
| Max resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 6400 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW format | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect focusing | ||
| Contract detect focusing | ||
| Phase detect focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 11 | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | - | 25-100mm (4.0x) |
| Maximum aperture | - | f/2.0-4.9 |
| Macro focusing range | - | 1cm |
| Number of lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 3" | 3" |
| Display resolution | 460 thousand dots | 460 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Display tech | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | TFT-LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 4 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/2000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames per second | 5.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 10.00 m | - |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/160 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | Motion JPEG | H.264, Motion JPEG |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 362 gr (0.80 lbs) | 247 gr (0.54 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 114 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 55 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.4 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.2 | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | 573 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 280 images | 330 images |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-5 | LI-92B |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC | SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Retail price | $0 | $350 |