Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony W690

Lets examine more closely at the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony W690, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and W690 (16MP) but they use the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The Tough-3000 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the W690 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the Tough-3000 matches up versus the W690 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690. The full galleries are available at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery and Sony W690 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera often, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus Tough-3000 has outer measurements 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 Sony W690 has dimensions of 94mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony W690 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the Tough-3000 compared to the W690.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the Tough-3000 and W690 is 94 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to envision the gap between sensor dimensions only by checking specs. The image underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the Tough-3000 and W690.

All in all, both the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same megapixels. You should anticipate the Sony W690 to give you extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged Tough-3000 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.