Clicky

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill

Portability
90
Imaging
40
Features
46
Overall
42
Olympus Tough TG-3 front
 
Sigma DP1 Merrill front
Portability
82
Imaging
55
Features
30
Overall
45

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Key Specs

Olympus TG-3
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 247g - 112 x 66 x 31mm
  • Launched March 2014
  • Renewed by Olympus TG-4
Sigma DP1 Merrill
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - APS-C Sensor
  • " Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 640 x 480 video
  • ()mm (F2.8) lens
  • 330g - 122 x 67 x 64mm
  • Released February 2012
  • Replacement is Sigma DP2 Merrill
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Overview

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.

Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

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.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

        

Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Sigma DP1 Merrill

 TG-3 DP1 Merrill 
ReleasedMarch 2014February 2012More modern by 27 months
Screen dimensions3""Bigger screen (+3")

Reasons to pick Sigma DP1 Merrill over the Olympus TG-3

 DP1 Merrill TG-3 
Focus manually More precise focusing
Screen resolution920k460kCrisper screen (+460k dot)

Common features in the Olympus TG-3 and Sigma DP1 Merrill

 TG-3 DP1 Merrill 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen
Touch screen Neither provides Touch screen

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Physical Comparison

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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill size comparison

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

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Sensor Comparison

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.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Portrait photography info
Sigma DP1 Merrill Portrait photography info
37
good resolution (16MP)
comes with face detection autofocus
no manual focus
cannot use external flash
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
73
you can focus manually
MP count good (15MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Street Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Street photography info
Sigma DP1 Merrill Street photography info
59
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
no moving screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
heavier than others (247 grams)
64
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
no articulating screen
no image stabilization
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus TG-3
Sports photography with Sigma DP1 Merrill
47
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (16MP)
comes with tracking autofocus
weather proof
good battery power (330 shots)
painfully slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect autofocus
47
MP count good (15 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
fixed focal length (()mm)
no image stabilization
has no phase detect AF
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Travel photography features
Sigma DP1 Merrill Travel photography features
74
good battery power (330 CIPA)
weather proof
good resolution (16MP)
built-in flash
fairly wide (25mm)
fast maximum aperture (f2.0)
heavier than others (247g)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
53
MP count good (15 megapixels)
no Time Lapse recording
display is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Landscape photography factors
Sigma DP1 Merrill Landscape photography factors
56
fairly wide (25mm)
fast maximum aperture (f2.0)
good sized screen (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (16MP)
weather proof
good battery power (330 CIPA)
no manual focus
can't switch lens (fixed lens mount)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
50
you can focus manually
MP count good (15MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
fixed focal length (()mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen ( inch)
no image stabilization
no Time Lapse recording
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Vlogging advice
Sigma DP1 Merrill Vlogging advice
34
fairly wide (25mm)
fast maximum aperture (f2.0)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with face detection autofocus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
doesn't offer selfie friendly display
no external mic socket
heavier than others (247g)
21
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
display is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
low video resolution (640 x 480 resolution)
no external mic jack
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-3 and Sigma DP1 Merrill
 Olympus Tough TG-3Sigma DP1 Merrill
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sigma
Model type Olympus Tough TG-3 Sigma DP1 Merrill
Type Waterproof Large Sensor Compact
Launched 2014-03-31 2012-02-08
Body design Compact Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VII Dual TRUE II engine
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS (Foveon X3)
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 24 x 16mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 384.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 15 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 -
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4704 x 3136
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) ()
Maximum aperture f/2.0-4.9 f/2.8
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inch -
Resolution of display 460k dot 920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display technology TFT-LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 4 secs -
Max shutter speed 1/2000 secs -
Continuous shutter speed 5.0fps -
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance - no built-in flash
Flash modes Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED no built-in flash
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 640 x 480
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 640x480
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic 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 proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 247 grams (0.54 lbs) 330 grams (0.73 lbs)
Physical dimensions 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") 122 x 67 x 64mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 330 shots -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery ID LI-92B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) -
Time lapse feature
Storage media SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory -
Storage slots One One
Pricing at release $350 $1,250