Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus TG-3 and Sigma DP1 Merrill, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sigma. The resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the DP1 Merrill (15MP) is pretty close but the TG-3 (1/2.3") and DP1 Merrill (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The TG-3 was manufactured 2 years after the DP1 Merrill which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP1 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summation of how the TG-3 scores versus the DP1 Merrill with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Tough TG-3 & Sigma DP1 Merrill. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus TG-3 Gallery & Sigma DP1 Merrill Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and volume. 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 Sigma DP1 Merrill has sizing of 122mm x 67mm x 64mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.5") and a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus TG-3 and Sigma DP1 Merrill in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the TG-3 versus the DP1 Merrill.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-3 and DP1 Merrill is 90 and 82 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor sizes simply by looking through technical specs. The picture here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-3 and DP1 Merrill.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-3 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus TG-3 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 1MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger TG-3 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.