Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-3
88 Imaging
48 Features
52 Overall
49


90 Imaging
40 Features
46 Overall
42
Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-3 Key Specs
(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
- Launched September 2011
- Succeeded the Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
- 247g - 112 x 66 x 31mm
- Released March 2014
- Later Model is Olympus TG-4

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-3 Overview
Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL3 versus Olympus TG-3, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof and both of them are offered by Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and TG-3 (16MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and TG-3 (1/2.3") use different sensor size.

The E-PL3 was unveiled 3 years prior to the TG-3 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera.
Before delving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-PL3 scores vs the TG-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-3 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL3 and Olympus Tough TG-3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery and Olympus TG-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Olympus TG-3
E-PL3 | TG-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very accurate focus | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Olympus E-PL3
TG-3 | E-PL3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | March 2014 | ![]() | September 2011 | Newer by 30 months |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL3 and Olympus TG-3
E-PL3 | TG-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical screen size |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 460k | The same screen resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Absent selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Neither offers Touch screen |
Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-3 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to travel with your camera often, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL3 offers 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) while the Olympus TG-3 has measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") having a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs).
See the Olympus E-PL3 versus Olympus TG-3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL3 vs the TG-3.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and TG-3 is 88 and 90 respectively.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-3 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it is hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by looking at specifications. The pic underneath should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL3 and TG-3.
To sum up, both cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 with its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus TG-3 will give greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL3 vs Olympus TG-3 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Olympus Tough TG-3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Olympus |
Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL3 | Olympus Tough TG-3 |
Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Waterproof |
Launched | 2011-09-20 | 2014-03-31 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Truepic VI | TruePic VII |
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
Maximum resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4608 x 3456 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 6400 |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 35 | - |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 25-100mm (4.0x) |
Max aperture | - | f/2.0-4.9 |
Macro focusing range | - | 1cm |
Total lenses | 107 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 460k dots | 460k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating | TFT-LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 4 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 6.0 frames/s | 5.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | - |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | H.264, Motion JPEG |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
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 | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 313g (0.69 lb) | 247g (0.54 lb) |
Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 52 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 20.9 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 499 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 images | 330 images |
Battery type | 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 feature | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Price at launch | $399 | $350 |