Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony RX100

Here is a thorough overview of the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony RX100, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and RX100 (20MP) and the Tough-3000 (1/2.3") and RX100 (1") come with totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The Tough-3000 was brought out 3 years prior to the RX100 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the Tough-3000 scores vs the RX100 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery and Sony RX100 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus Tough-3000 comes with exterior measurements of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") having a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony RX100 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Compare the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony RX100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the Tough-3000 versus the RX100.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the Tough-3000 and RX100 is 94 and 91 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing just by reading through specs. The graphic below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the Tough-3000 and RX100.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The Tough-3000 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony RX100 will give more detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots far more aggressively. The older Tough-3000 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.