Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax ist DS2

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax ist DS2, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the TG-3 (16MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the TG-3 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The TG-3 was brought out 8 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the TG-3 scores against the ist DS2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Tough TG-3 and Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus TG-3 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-3 features physical dimensions 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 ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-3 vs Pentax ist DS2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the TG-3 and the ist DS2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-3 and ist DS2 is 90 and 68 respectively.

Usually, its tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements simply by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-3 and ist DS2.

As you can see, the 2 cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The TG-3 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus TG-3 will resolve extra detail having its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more recent TG-3 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.