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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 front
Portability
91
Imaging
33
Features
30
Overall
31

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 Key Specs

Olympus TG-850 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
  • 218g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
  • Revealed January 2014
Panasonic ZS3
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-300mm (F3.3-4.9) lens
  • 229g - 103 x 60 x 33mm
  • Introduced May 2009
  • Alternative Name is Lumix DMC-TZ7
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 Overview

The following is a in depth analysis of the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Panasonic ZS3, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and ZS3 (10MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The TG-850 iHS was announced 4 years after the ZS3 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the TG-850 iHS grades vs the ZS3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Panasonic ZS3

 TG-850 iHS ZS3 
IntroducedJanuary 2014May 2009Newer by 58 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display

Reasons to pick Panasonic ZS3 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS

 ZS3 TG-850 iHS 

Common features in the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Panasonic ZS3

 TG-850 iHS ZS3 
Focus manually No manual focus
Display size3"3"Same display sizing
Display resolution460k460kThe same display resolution
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen
Touch display Neither provides Touch display

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 Physical Comparison

For those who are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-850 iHS provides physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS3 has sizing of 103mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 229 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Panasonic ZS3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the TG-850 iHS and the ZS3.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-850 iHS and ZS3 is 91 and 91 respectively.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it can be hard to see the contrast in sensor dimensions only by seeing specifications. The pic below will give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-850 iHS and ZS3.

To sum up, the two cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus TG-850 iHS to provide extra detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images way more aggressively. The fresher TG-850 iHS will have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Portrait photography with Panasonic ZS3
35
MP count good (16MP)
comes with face detection focus
lack of manual focus
no manual control
external flash not possible
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
19
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
can't use external flash
low MP (10 megapixels)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Street photography camera
Panasonic ZS3 as a Street photography camera
69
tilting screen
image stabilization (Optical)
weather sealing
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
60
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition (229 grams)
screen does not articulate
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Sports photography with Panasonic ZS3
51
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (16 megapixels)
comes with tracking autofocus
weather sealing
good battery pack (330 CIPA)
lack of shutter priority mode
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
24
built in image stabilization (Optical)
slow frames per second (2.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
low MP (10MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Travel photography information
Panasonic ZS3 Travel photography information
72
good battery pack (330 CIPA)
weather sealing
MP count good (16MP)
has built in flash
decently wide (21mm)
display isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
63
lighter than competition (229 grams)
flash built-in
decently wide (25mm)
very long zoom (300mm)
lack of Time Lapse mode
low MP (10MP)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Landscape photography with Panasonic ZS3
50
decently wide (21mm)
screen size is good (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (16MP)
weather sealing
good battery pack (330 per charge)
lack of manual focus
cannot swap lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
35
decently wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
no manual control
low MP (10MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
lack of Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Vlogging highlights
Panasonic ZS3 Vlogging highlights
33
decently wide (21mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
comes with face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
display isn't selfie friendly
missing external microphone support
30
decently wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition (229 grams)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pxls)
lack of external mic port
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic ZS3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-850 iHS and Panasonic ZS3
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHSPanasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
General Information
Company Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3
Also called as - Lumix DMC-TZ7
Class Waterproof Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed 2014-01-29 2009-05-14
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VII -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 10MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio - 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4616 x 3464 3648 x 2736
Max native ISO 6400 6400
Minimum native ISO 125 80
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points - 11
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 21-105mm (5.0x) 25-300mm (12.0x)
Largest aperture f/3.5-5.7 f/3.3-4.9
Macro focus range - 3cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.9
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 460k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display technology TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 1/2 seconds 60 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 7.0 frames/s 2.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range - 5.30 m (Auto ISO)
Flash modes - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format H.264, Motion JPEG AVCHD Lite
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Yes None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 218g (0.48 lb) 229g (0.50 lb)
Physical dimensions 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") 103 x 60 x 33mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 330 photos -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model LI-50B -
Self timer Yes (2 sec, 12 sec, Custom Self-Timer (1-30 sec start timer, 1-10 pictures, 1-3 sec interval)) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Price at launch $250 $200