Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony NEX-3
91 Imaging
39 Features
40 Overall
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89 Imaging
54 Features
55 Overall
54
Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-140mm (F3.9-5.9) lens
- 214g - 109 x 67 x 28mm
- Announced January 2013
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- 1280 x 720 video
- Sony E Mount
- 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
- Introduced June 2010
- Newer Model is Sony NEX-C3

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony NEX-3 Overview
Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus TG-830 iHS versus Sony NEX-3, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the TG-830 iHS (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is pretty similar but the TG-830 iHS (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

The TG-830 iHS was manufactured 2 years later than the NEX-3 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-830 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.
Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the TG-830 iHS matches up versus the NEX-3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony NEX-3 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus TG-830 iHS and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus TG-830 iHS Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-830 iHS over the Sony NEX-3
TG-830 iHS | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | January 2013 | ![]() | June 2010 | More recent by 32 months |
Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Olympus TG-830 iHS
NEX-3 | TG-830 iHS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Screen resolution | 920k | ![]() | 460k | Crisper screen (+460k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus TG-830 iHS and Sony NEX-3
TG-830 iHS | NEX-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither features selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Neither features Touch screen |
Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-830 iHS enjoys external dimensions of 109mm x 67mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3 has sizing of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).
Look at the Olympus TG-830 iHS versus Sony NEX-3 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the TG-830 iHS versus the NEX-3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-830 iHS and NEX-3 is 91 and 89 respectively.

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it is hard to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reading technical specs. The photograph below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-830 iHS and NEX-3.
As you can tell, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The TG-830 iHS because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus TG-830 iHS will offer you extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The more modern TG-830 iHS provides an advantage in sensor tech.

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications
Olympus TG-830 iHS | Sony Alpha NEX-3 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus TG-830 iHS | Sony Alpha NEX-3 |
Type | Waterproof | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Announced | 2013-01-08 | 2010-06-07 |
Physical type | Compact | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4592 x 3056 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 200 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | - | 25 |
Cross type focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | Sony E |
Lens zoom range | 28-140mm (5.0x) | - |
Maximal aperture | f/3.9-5.9 | - |
Macro focusing range | 1cm | - |
Total lenses | - | 121 |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 460 thousand dots | 920 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Screen tech | - | TFT Xtra Fine LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | - | 7.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | - | 12.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | - | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | H.264 | MPEG-4 |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | BuiltIn | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 214g (0.47 lb) | 297g (0.65 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 109 x 67 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") | 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 68 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.1 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.0 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 830 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 images | 330 images |
Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LI-50B | NPFW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images)) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | One | One |
Launch cost | $0 | $0 |