Olympus SH-3 vs Olympus TG-5

Following is a thorough comparison of the Olympus SH-3 and Olympus TG-5, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Waterproof and they are both built by Olympus. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and TG-5 (12MP) but both cameras have the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SH-3 was unveiled 15 months earlier than the TG-5 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the SH-3 scores versus the TG-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Olympus Tough TG-5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Olympus TG-5 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera, you have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus SH-3 comes with exterior dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Olympus TG-5 has specifications of 113mm x 66mm x 32mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-3 and Olympus TG-5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the SH-3 against the TG-5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-3 and TG-5 is 88 and 90 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by seeing a spec sheet. The pic here should give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-3 and TG-5.

As you can see, each of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Olympus SH-3 to produce greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged SH-3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.