Olympus Tough-3000 vs Panasonic LX3

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus Tough-3000 versus Panasonic LX3, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and the LX3 (10MP) is pretty similar but the Tough-3000 (1/2.3") and LX3 (1/1.63") have totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The Tough-3000 was brought out 15 months after the LX3 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the Tough-3000 matches up against the LX3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery & Panasonic LX3 Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus Tough-3000 features exterior dimensions of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") and a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Panasonic LX3 has sizing of 109mm x 60mm x 27mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs).

Look at the Olympus Tough-3000 versus Panasonic LX3 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the Tough-3000 compared to the LX3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the Tough-3000 and LX3 is 94 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reading technical specs. The image underneath might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the Tough-3000 and LX3.

As you can tell, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The Tough-3000 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF harder and the Olympus Tough-3000 will offer extra detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The newer Tough-3000 will have an advantage in sensor tech.