Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic GH2
90 Imaging
40 Features
46 Overall
42


70 Imaging
51 Features
65 Overall
56
Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic GH2 Key Specs
(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
- Introduced March 2014
- Refreshed by Olympus TG-4
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 160 - 12800
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 442g - 124 x 90 x 76mm
- Launched March 2011
- Older Model is Panasonic GH1
- New Model is Panasonic GH3

Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic GH2 Overview
Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus TG-3 and Panasonic GH2, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the GH2 (16MP) is relatively close but the TG-3 (1/2.3") and GH2 (Four Thirds) come with totally different sensor measurements.

The TG-3 was launched 3 years later than the GH2 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise view of how the TG-3 matches up against the GH2 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic GH2 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Tough TG-3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus TG-3 Gallery and Panasonic GH2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Panasonic GH2
TG-3 | GH2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | March 2014 | ![]() | March 2011 | Fresher by 37 months |
Reasons to pick Panasonic GH2 over the Olympus TG-3
GH2 | TG-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Olympus TG-3 and Panasonic GH2
TG-3 | GH2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen dimension | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Identical screen measurements |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 460k | Same screen resolution |
Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic GH2 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus TG-3 features outer measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") along with a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs) and the Panasonic GH2 has specifications of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") along with a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus TG-3 and Panasonic GH2 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the TG-3 compared to the GH2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-3 and GH2 is 90 and 70 respectively.

Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic GH2 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it can be tough to envision the contrast in sensor sizing just by researching technical specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-3 and GH2.
As you can tell, both of the cameras posses the exact same resolution albeit not the same sensor sizing. The TG-3 offers the smaller sensor which should make obtaining shallower depth of field tougher. The newer TG-3 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic GH2 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Panasonic GH2 Specifications
Olympus Tough TG-3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Panasonic |
Model type | Olympus Tough TG-3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 |
Category | Waterproof | Advanced Mirrorless |
Introduced | 2014-03-31 | 2011-03-23 |
Physical type | Compact | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | TruePic VII | Venus Engine FHD |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | Four Thirds |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 17.3 x 13mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 224.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4608 x 3456 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 160 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | - | 23 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | Micro Four Thirds |
Lens zoom range | 25-100mm (4.0x) | - |
Highest aperture | f/2.0-4.9 | - |
Macro focusing distance | 1cm | - |
Amount of lenses | - | 107 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 2.1 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Screen size | 3" | 3" |
Screen resolution | 460k dots | 460k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen technology | TFT-LCD | TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Electronic |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.71x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 60 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 5.0fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | - | 15.60 m |
Flash modes | Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | - | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (24, 30, 60fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | AVCHD, Motion JPEG |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
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 sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 247 grams (0.54 pounds) | 442 grams (0.97 pounds) |
Dimensions | 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") | 124 x 90 x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 60 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 21.2 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.3 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 655 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 shots | 330 shots |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LI-92B | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Card slots | One | One |
Launch price | $350 | $1,000 |