Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony NEX-5R

Following is a complete review of the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony NEX-5R, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and NEX-5R (16MP) and the Tough-3000 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) use different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The Tough-3000 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the NEX-5R which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the Tough-3000 scores versus the NEX-5R with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The full galleries are available at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus Tough-3000 features outside measurements of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") along with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5R has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

See the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony NEX-5R in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the Tough-3000 versus the NEX-5R.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the Tough-3000 and NEX-5R is 94 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizes just by reading through a spec sheet. The pic here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the Tough-3000 and NEX-5R.

Clearly, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The Tough-3000 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5R will give more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged Tough-3000 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.