Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-860

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus TG-860, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Waterproof and both of them are produced by Olympus. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and TG-860 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and TG-860 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was released 4 years prior to the TG-860 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL3 matches up versus the TG-860 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Olympus TG-860 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL3 offers outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Olympus TG-860 has specifications of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus TG-860 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the E-PL3 and the TG-860.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and TG-860 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reading specs. The pic here may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and TG-860.

All in all, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus TG-860 will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.