Olympus TG-860 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus TG-860 versus Sigma DP3 Merrill, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the TG-860 (16MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is relatively close but the TG-860 (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

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The TG-860 was brought out 2 years after the DP3 Merrill which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the TG-860 grades versus the DP3 Merrill in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 & Sigma DP3 Merrill. The entire galleries are available at Olympus TG-860 Gallery & Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-860 has external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") having a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Sigma DP3 Merrill has proportions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") and a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-860 versus Sigma DP3 Merrill in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the TG-860 against the DP3 Merrill.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the TG-860 and DP3 Merrill is 91 and 83 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizes simply by viewing specifications. The picture below should give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-860 and DP3 Merrill.

Plainly, the 2 cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-860 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field tougher and the Olympus TG-860 will result in extra detail having its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The younger TG-860 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.