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Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3

Portability
86
Imaging
54
Features
81
Overall
64
Olympus PEN E-PL7 front
 
Olympus Tough TG-3 front
Portability
90
Imaging
40
Features
46
Overall
42

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL7
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 357g - 115 x 67 x 38mm
  • Released September 2014
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-PL6
  • New Model is Olympus E-PL8
Olympus TG-3
(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
  • Introduced March 2014
  • Updated by Olympus TG-4
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 Overview

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-PL7 versus Olympus TG-3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof and they are both designed by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the TG-3 (16MP) is pretty close but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and TG-3 (1/2.3") have different sensor size.

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The E-PL7 was launched 6 months later than the TG-3 so they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-PL7 matches up against the TG-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL7 over the Olympus TG-3

 E-PL7 TG-3 
Manually focus More accurate focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution1037k460kSharper screen (+577k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Olympus E-PL7

 TG-3 E-PL7 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL7 and Olympus TG-3

 E-PL7 TG-3 
IntroducedSeptember 2014March 2014Same generation
Screen size3"3"Same screen size

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL7 comes with exterior measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Olympus TG-3 has sizing of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") having a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL7 versus Olympus TG-3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the E-PL7 and the TG-3.

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL7 and TG-3 is 86 and 90 respectively.

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 Sensor Comparison

Typically, its hard to picture the difference in sensor sizing just by researching specs. The visual underneath should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL7 and TG-3.

All in all, both of these cameras come with the identical megapixel count albeit different sensor sizing. The E-PL7 has got the bigger sensor which should make obtaining bokeh simpler.

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 Portrait photography info
Olympus TG-3 Portrait photography info
72
you can focus manually
megapixel count decent (16MP)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports face detection focusing
exports RAW files
37
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
includes face detection focus
lack of manual focus
no external flash support
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 as a Street photography camera
Olympus TG-3 as a Street photography camera
84
screen tilts
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
features focus via touch
above average ISO range (25,600)
59
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proofing
no moving screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
more heavy than others in class (247 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 as a Sports photography camera
Olympus TG-3 as a Sports photography camera
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports tracking autofocus
lack of phase detect AF
47
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
includes tracking autofocus
weather proofing
better than average battery pack (330 shots)
max frames per second low (5.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 Travel photography info
Olympus TG-3 Travel photography info
85
features focus via touch
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
74
better than average battery pack (330 per charge)
weather proofing
megapixel count good (16MP)
has built in flash
fairly wide (25mm)
fast max aperture (f2.0)
more heavy than others in class (247g)
does not offer selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 Landscape photography features
Olympus TG-3 Landscape photography features
80
you can focus manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
above average ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW files
56
fairly wide (25mm)
fast max aperture (f2.0)
screen size is good (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count good (16MP)
weather proofing
better than average battery pack (330 CIPA)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL7 Vlogging info
Olympus TG-3 Vlogging info
78
selfie friendly display
screen is touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports face detection focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does not have external microphone socket
34
fairly wide (25mm)
fast max aperture (f2.0)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does not offer selfie friendly display
no external microphone socket
more heavy than others in class (247g)
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Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL7 and Olympus TG-3
 Olympus PEN E-PL7Olympus Tough TG-3
General Information
Brand Olympus Olympus
Model type Olympus PEN E-PL7 Olympus Tough TG-3
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Waterproof
Released 2014-09-01 2014-03-31
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VII TruePic VII
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Highest Possible resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Maximum native ISO 25600 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 81 -
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-100mm (4.0x)
Max aperture - f/2.0-4.9
Macro focusing distance - 1cm
Number of lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Display type Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 1,037k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display tech - TFT-LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) None
Features
Min shutter speed 60 seconds 4 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 8.0 frames per sec 5.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash -
Flash modes no built-in flash Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 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 H.264, Motion JPEG H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In 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 357g (0.79 lbs) 247g (0.54 lbs)
Physical dimensions 115 x 67 x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 72 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 22.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.4 not tested
DXO Low light rating 873 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 photos 330 photos
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLS-50 LI-92B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC card SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory
Card slots 1 1
Price at release $499 $350