Olympus TG-3 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus TG-3 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is relatively comparable but the TG-3 (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

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The TG-3 was introduced 24 months later than the SD1 Merrill which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a brief overview of how the TG-3 scores versus the SD1 Merrill in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Tough TG-3 & Sigma SD1 Merrill. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus TG-3 Gallery & Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus TG-3 has outer dimensions 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 Sigma SD1 Merrill has specifications of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

See the Olympus TG-3 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the TG-3 versus the SD1 Merrill.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-3 and SD1 Merrill is 90 and 57 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to see the contrast in sensor measurements only by checking out specifications. The photograph below should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-3 and SD1 Merrill.

To sum up, both the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The TG-3 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus TG-3 will produce more detail using its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more recent TG-3 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.