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Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160

Portability
90
Imaging
40
Features
46
Overall
42
Olympus Tough TG-3 front
 
Olympus VG-160 front
Portability
96
Imaging
38
Features
26
Overall
33

Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 Key Specs

Olympus TG-3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 247g - 112 x 66 x 31mm
  • Released March 2014
  • Replacement is Olympus TG-4
Olympus VG-160
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
  • 125g - 96 x 57 x 19mm
  • Introduced January 2012
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Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 Overview

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus TG-3 and Olympus VG-160, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both built by Olympus. The image resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the VG-160 (14MP) is relatively comparable and both cameras boast the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The TG-3 was brought out 2 years after the VG-160 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the TG-3 grades vs the VG-160 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Olympus VG-160

 TG-3 VG-160 
IntroducedMarch 2014January 2012Newer by 28 months
Screen resolution460k230kCrisper screen (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Olympus VG-160 over the Olympus TG-3

 VG-160 TG-3 

Common features in the Olympus TG-3 and Olympus VG-160

 TG-3 VG-160 
Focus manually Lack of manual focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen size
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch screen Neither has Touch screen

Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-3 has exterior measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") with a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs) while the Olympus VG-160 has dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-3 and Olympus VG-160 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the TG-3 against the VG-160.

Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the TG-3 and VG-160 is 90 and 96 respectively.

Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 Sensor Comparison

Usually, its difficult to see the gap in sensor dimensions purely by going through technical specs. The picture here might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-3 and VG-160.

As you can tell, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You should count on the Olympus TG-3 to show greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The fresher TG-3 is going to have an edge in sensor technology.

Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Portrait photography features
Olympus VG-160 Portrait photography features
37
MP count good (16MP)
includes face detect focus
no manual focus
can't use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
34
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
comes with face detection autofocus
focusing manually not possible
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Street photography details
Olympus VG-160 Street photography details
59
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proofing
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
heavier than average (247g)
56
lighter than others in class (125 grams)
fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Sports photography details
Olympus VG-160 Sports photography details
47
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
MP count good (16 megapixels)
includes tracking focus
weather proofing
great battery power (330 per charge)
max fps very slow (5.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
27
megapixel count decent (14MP)
no shutter priority
does not have image stabilization
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
terrible battery life (165 shots)
lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Travel photography advice
Olympus VG-160 Travel photography advice
74
great battery power (330 shots)
weather proofing
MP count good (16MP)
flash built-in
quite wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
heavier than average (247 grams)
display isn't selfie friendly
66
lighter than others in class (125 grams)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
built-in flash
rather wide (26mm)
does not have Time Lapse recording
terrible battery life (165 CIPA)
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Landscape photography details
Olympus VG-160 Landscape photography details
56
quite wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
good sized screen (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
MP count good (16 megapixels)
weather proofing
great battery power (330 CIPA)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
37
rather wide (26mm)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
cannot switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
manual exposure not possible
does not have image stabilization
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
terrible battery life (165 CIPA)
does not have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-3 as a Vlogging camera
Olympus VG-160 as a Vlogging camera
34
quite wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
missing mic jack
heavier than average (247 grams)
30
rather wide (26mm)
comes with face detection autofocus
lighter than others in class (125 grams)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have external mic jack
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Olympus TG-3 vs Olympus VG-160 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-3 and Olympus VG-160
 Olympus Tough TG-3Olympus VG-160
General Information
Brand Olympus Olympus
Model Olympus Tough TG-3 Olympus VG-160
Class Waterproof Small Sensor Compact
Released 2014-03-31 2012-01-10
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 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 4:3
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4288 x 3216
Highest native ISO 6400 1600
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 25-100mm (4.0x) 26-130mm (5.0x)
Largest aperture f/2.0-4.9 f/2.8-6.5
Macro focus distance 1cm 7cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 460 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology TFT-LCD TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 secs 4 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/2000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 5.0 frames/s -
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range - 4.80 m
Flash settings Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30,15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 180 (30,15 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format H.264, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 247 gr (0.54 pounds) 125 gr (0.28 pounds)
Physical dimensions 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") 96 x 57 x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall 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 images 165 images
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI-92B LI-70B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC
Storage slots One One
Launch pricing $350 $90