Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony WX500

Here is a extended review of the Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony WX500, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and WX500 (18MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The Tough-3000 was released 6 years earlier than the WX500 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise overview of how the Tough-3000 scores vs the WX500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery and Sony WX500 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus Tough-3000 has external dimensions of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") and a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Sony WX500 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 236 grams (0.52 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony WX500 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the Tough-3000 compared to the WX500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the Tough-3000 and WX500 is 94 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it is very hard to see the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic below should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the Tough-3000 and WX500.

As you can see, both of those cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Sony WX500 to give greater detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The older Tough-3000 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.