Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-820 iHS

The following is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-820 iHS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Waterproof and they are both built by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the TG-820 iHS (12MP) is very close but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL3 was unveiled 4 months prior to the TG-820 iHS and they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-PL3 matches up against the TG-820 iHS in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Olympus TG-820 iHS. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Olympus TG-820 iHS Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera often, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys outer measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Olympus TG-820 iHS has sizing of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") along with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-820 iHS in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL3 against the TG-820 iHS.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL3 and TG-820 iHS is 88 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions simply by looking through specs. The picture below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and TG-820 iHS.

All in all, each of the cameras posses the exact same MP but different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 offers the larger sensor which will make obtaining bokeh less difficult.