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Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310

Portability
88
Imaging
48
Features
52
Overall
49
Olympus PEN E-PL3 front
 
Olympus TG-310 front
Portability
94
Imaging
37
Features
33
Overall
35

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL3
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
  • Revealed September 2011
  • Previous Model is Olympus E-PL2
Olympus TG-310
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-102mm (F3.9-5.9) lens
  • 155g - 96 x 63 x 23mm
  • Announced January 2011
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 Overview

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof and both are sold by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the TG-310 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and TG-310 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 9 months after the TG-310 and they are of a similar generation. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-310 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-PL3 grades against the TG-310 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Olympus TG-310

 E-PL3 TG-310 
AnnouncedSeptember 2011January 2011Newer by 9 months
Manual focus Very accurate focusing
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kSharper display (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Olympus TG-310 over the Olympus E-PL3

 TG-310 E-PL3 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus TG-310

 E-PL3 TG-310 
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither features Touch friendly display

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Olympus TG-310 has dimensions of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the E-PL3 versus the TG-310.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and TG-310 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 Sensor Comparison

Often, it can be tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions purely by looking at specs. The pic below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and TG-310.

As you can plainly see, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 featuring a larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus TG-310 will give extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL3 is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 Portrait photography features
Olympus TG-310 Portrait photography features
60
has manual focus
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
has face detect focus
delivers RAW files
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
33
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
features face detect autofocus
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
cannot use external flash
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 as a Street photography camera
Olympus TG-310 as a Street photography camera
84
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
66
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proofing
lighter than competition (155 grams)
screen is fixed
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-PL3
Sports photography with Olympus TG-310
45
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
max fps very slow (6.0 frames per second)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
low battery life (300 CIPA)
does not have phase detect auto focus
40
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
features tracking focus
environment proofing
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
bad battery life (150 shots)
does not have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PL3
Travel photography with Olympus TG-310
44
does not have Timelapse function
low battery life (300 shots)
megapixel count low (12MP)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
67
lighter than competition (155 grams)
environment proofing
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
has built in flash
pretty wide (28mm)
lack of Timelapse recording
bad battery life (150 shots)
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.9)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-PL3
Landscape photography with Olympus TG-310
61
has manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
megapixel count low (12MP)
low battery life (300 shots)
does not have Timelapse function
39
pretty wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
environment proofing
focusing manually not possible
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.9)
screen is small (2.7 inches)
no manual control
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
bad battery life (150 CIPA)
lack of Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 Vlogging advice
Olympus TG-310 Vlogging advice
34
image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
does not have microphone jack
32
pretty wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
features face detect autofocus
lighter than competition (155g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.9)
screen isn't selfie friendly
low res video (1280 x 720 resolution)
lack of microphone port
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Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-310 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus TG-310
 Olympus PEN E-PL3Olympus TG-310
General Information
Make Olympus Olympus
Model Olympus PEN E-PL3 Olympus TG-310
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Waterproof
Revealed 2011-09-20 2011-01-06
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Truepic VI TruePic III+
Sensor type CMOS CCD
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 12 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 -
Peak resolution 4032 x 3024 4288 x 3216
Highest native ISO 12800 1600
Lowest native ISO 200 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points 35 -
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-102mm (3.6x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.9-5.9
Macro focus range - 3cm
Total lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inch 2.7 inch
Screen resolution 460 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 seconds 4 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 6.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range no built-in flash 4.20 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/160 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format AVCHD, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 313g (0.69 lbs) 155g (0.34 lbs)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") 96 x 63 x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 52 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 20.9 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 10.3 not tested
DXO Low light score 499 not tested
Other
Battery life 300 images 150 images
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLS-5 LI-42B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots 1 1
Launch cost $399 $0