Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax RS1500
Portability
90 Imaging
40 Features
46 Overall
42
90 Imaging
40 Features
46 Overall
42
Portability
93 Imaging
37 Features
30 Overall
34
93 Imaging
37 Features
30 Overall
34
Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax RS1500 Key Specs
Olympus TG-3
(Full Review)
(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
Pentax RS1500
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-110mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
- Announced March 2011
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Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus TG-3 versus Pentax RS1500, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the RS1500 (14MP) is relatively well matched and they use the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe TG-3 was brought out 3 years later than the RS1500 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).
Before delving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the TG-3 scores versus the RS1500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Tough TG-3 & Pentax Optio RS1500. The entire galleries are available at Olympus TG-3 Gallery & Pentax RS1500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Pentax RS1500
| TG-3 | RS1500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | March 2014 |  | March 2011 | Fresher by 38 months |
| Screen dimension | 3" |  | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
| Screen resolution | 460k |  | 230k | Sharper screen (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Pentax RS1500 over the Olympus TG-3
| RS1500 | TG-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | More exact focusing |
Common features in the Olympus TG-3 and Pentax RS1500
| TG-3 | RS1500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fixed |  | Fixed | Fixed screen |
| Selfie screen |  | Missing selfie screen | ||
| Touch friendly screen |  | Neither provides Touch friendly screen |
Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax RS1500 Physical Comparison
If you are aiming to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-3 provides outside measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") having a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs) whilst the Pentax RS1500 has dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus TG-3 versus Pentax RS1500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the TG-3 against the RS1500.
Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-3 and RS1500 is 90 and 93 respectively.
Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax RS1500 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it's tough to picture the gap between sensor sizing only by reading through specs. The visual below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-3 and RS1500.
As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can count on the Olympus TG-3 to give more detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more modern TG-3 should have an advantage in sensor tech.
Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax RS1500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Portrait Comparison
Olympus TG-3 as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax RS1500 as a Portrait photography camera
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
supports face detect focus
no manual focus
cannot use external flash
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
you can focus manually
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
no manual exposure
no external flash support
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
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Olympus TG-3 as a Street photography camera
Pentax RS1500 as a Street photography camera
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather sealing
no moving screen
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
heavier than competitors in class (247 grams)
weather proofing
screen does not articulate
lack of image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
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Olympus TG-3 Sports photography advice
Pentax RS1500 Sports photography advice
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
supports tracking focus
weather sealing
better than average battery power (330 shots)
low fps (5.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
provides tracking autofocus
weather proofing
slow fps (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
lack of image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
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Olympus TG-3 Travel photography features
Pentax RS1500 Travel photography features
better than average battery power (330 shots)
weather sealing
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
has built in flash
rather wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
heavier than competitors in class (247 grams)
screen is not selfie friendly
weather proofing
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
reasonably wide (28mm)
does not have Timelapse function
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Olympus TG-3 Landscape photography features
Pentax RS1500 Landscape photography features
rather wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
weather sealing
better than average battery power (330 per charge)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
you can focus manually
reasonably wide (28mm)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
weather proofing
cannot change lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
no manual exposure
lack of image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
does not have Timelapse function
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Olympus TG-3 Vlogging factors
Pentax RS1500 Vlogging factors
rather wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect focus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have mic jack
heavier than competitors in class (247 grams)
reasonably wide (28mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have external microphone jack
Photography Glossary
Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax RS1500 Specifications
| Olympus Tough TG-3 | Pentax Optio RS1500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model | Olympus Tough TG-3 | Pentax Optio RS1500 |
| Type | Waterproof | Small Sensor Compact |
| Introduced | 2014-03-31 | 2011-03-16 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePic VII | - |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 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, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4288 x 3216 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 6400 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Selective autofocus | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Autofocus live view | ||
| Face detection autofocus | ||
| Contract detection autofocus | ||
| Phase detection autofocus | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens focal range | 25-100mm (4.0x) | 28-110mm (3.9x) |
| Highest aperture | f/2.0-4.9 | f/3.5-5.5 |
| Macro focus distance | 1cm | 1cm |
| Crop factor | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
| Screen resolution | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Screen tech | TFT-LCD | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 4 secs | 4 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/1500 secs |
| Continuous shutter speed | 5.0 frames per second | 1.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | - | 3.90 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance 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 240 (30, 15 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
| Video data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone 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) | 157 gr (0.35 pounds) |
| Dimensions | 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") | 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") |
| 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 shots | 260 shots |
| Battery format | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | LI-92B | D-LI92 |
| 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, Internal |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Pricing at release | $350 | $150 |