Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-870

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus TG-870, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Ultracompact and they are both offered by Olympus. There is a huge difference among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and TG-870 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and TG-870 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 5 years before the TG-870 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PL3 scores versus the TG-870 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus TG-870 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 has got outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) while the Olympus TG-870 has proportions of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus TG-870 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-PL3 against the TG-870.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and TG-870 is 88 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to envision the gap in sensor dimensions purely by seeing a spec sheet. The picture below may give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and TG-870.

Clearly, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 due to its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus TG-870 will provide greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.