Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic G9

Here, we are contrasting the Olympus TG-3 and Panasonic G9, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the G9 (20MP) is fairly comparable but the TG-3 (1/2.3") and G9 (Four Thirds) boast totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The TG-3 was manufactured 4 years earlier than the G9 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic G9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple summation of how the TG-3 matches up against the G9 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Tough TG-3 & Panasonic Lumix DC-G9. The entire galleries are available at Olympus TG-3 Gallery & Panasonic G9 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-3 has outside dimensions 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 Panasonic G9 has dimensions of 137mm x 97mm x 92mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 658 grams (1.45 lbs).

Compare the Olympus TG-3 and Panasonic G9 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the TG-3 versus the G9.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-3 and G9 is 90 and 62 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements simply by checking out a spec sheet. The visual here should provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-3 and G9.

Clearly, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-3 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Panasonic G9 will produce greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The older TG-3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.