Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A100

Below, we will be analyzing the Olympus Tough-3000 versus Sony A100, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and the A100 (10MP) is relatively well matched but the Tough-3000 (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The Tough-3000 was revealed 3 years later than the A100 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the Tough-3000 scores vs the A100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry your camera often, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus Tough-3000 has external measurements of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Sony A100 has sizing of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Compare the Olympus Tough-3000 versus Sony A100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the Tough-3000 and the A100.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the Tough-3000 and A100 is 94 and 64 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to see the gap between sensor sizing only by looking at technical specs. The photograph below will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the Tough-3000 and A100.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The Tough-3000 using its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh more difficult and the Olympus Tough-3000 will resolve more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The more recent Tough-3000 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.