Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic FZ80

Below is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus TG-3 versus Panasonic FZ80, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the FZ80 (18MP) is relatively similar and both cameras provide the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The TG-3 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the FZ80 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the TG-3 matches up versus the FZ80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Tough TG-3 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-3 Gallery & Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-3 comes with outside measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") with a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ80 has sizing of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

See the Olympus TG-3 versus Panasonic FZ80 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the TG-3 against the FZ80.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-3 and FZ80 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to envision the difference between sensor measurements just by reading specifications. The visual underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-3 and FZ80.

To sum up, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You can count on the Panasonic FZ80 to offer you more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older TG-3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.