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Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7

Portability
90
Imaging
40
Features
46
Overall
42
Olympus Tough TG-3 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-7 front
Portability
84
Imaging
63
Features
71
Overall
66

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Key Specs

Olympus TG-3
(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
  • Launched March 2014
  • Successor is Olympus TG-4
Sony NEX-7
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 400g - 120 x 67 x 43mm
  • Released December 2011
Photography Glossary

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Overview

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus TG-3 and Sony NEX-7, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the TG-3 (16MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the TG-3 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The TG-3 was manufactured 2 years later than the NEX-7 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the TG-3 matches up against the NEX-7 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Sony NEX-7

 TG-3 NEX-7 
ReleasedMarch 2014December 2011More recent by 28 months

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-7 over the Olympus TG-3

 NEX-7 TG-3 
Manual focus More precise focusing
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution921k460kClearer display (+461k dot)

Common features in the Olympus TG-3 and Sony NEX-7

 TG-3 NEX-7 
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurements
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch display Neither comes with Touch display

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-3 comes with physical measurements 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 Sony NEX-7 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus TG-3 and Sony NEX-7 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the TG-3 vs the NEX-7.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-3 and NEX-7 is 90 and 84 respectively.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it is very tough to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements purely by going through technical specs. The photograph below might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-3 and NEX-7.

As you can tell, both of those cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The TG-3 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-7 will produce greater detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos more aggressively. The newer TG-3 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-3 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony NEX-7 as a Portrait photography camera
37
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
has face detection focus
no manual focus
no external flash support
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
77
has manual focus
decent MP (24 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
offers face detect focus
exports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Street photography details
Sony NEX-7 Street photography details
59
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proofing
fixed screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
heavier than others (247g)
76
tilting screen
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
lack of image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-3 as a Sports photography camera
Sony NEX-7 as a Sports photography camera
47
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
has tracking autofocus
environment proofing
good battery life (330 CIPA)
very slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
61
decent MP (24MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
great battery power (430 per charge)
lack of image stabilization
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Travel photography factors
Sony NEX-7 Travel photography factors
74
good battery life (330 shots)
environment proofing
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
really wide (25mm)
good max aperture (f2.0)
heavier than others (247 grams)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
70
great battery power (430 shots)
decent MP (24MP)
has built in flash
no Time Lapse recording
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-3 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-7 as a Landscape photography camera
56
really wide (25mm)
good max aperture (f2.0)
screen size is decent (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
environment proofing
good battery life (330 shots)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
72
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
decent MP (24MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
great battery power (430 shots)
lack of image stabilization
no Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-3 Vlogging highlights
Sony NEX-7 Vlogging highlights
34
really wide (25mm)
good max aperture (f2.0)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
no external mic jack
heavier than others (247g)
35
offers face detect focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
has mic support
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
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Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-3 and Sony NEX-7
 Olympus Tough TG-3Sony Alpha NEX-7
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model Olympus Tough TG-3 Sony Alpha NEX-7
Category Waterproof Advanced Mirrorless
Launched 2014-03-31 2011-12-13
Physical type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VII Bionz
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 24MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 6000 x 4000
Highest native ISO 6400 16000
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points - 25
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Sony E
Lens focal range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Largest aperture f/2.0-4.9 -
Macro focus distance 1cm -
Total lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 460k dots 921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology TFT-LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 4 seconds 30 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 5.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range - 6.00 m
Flash settings Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 247 grams (0.54 lb) 400 grams (0.88 lb)
Physical dimensions 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") 120 x 67 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 81
DXO Color Depth score not tested 24.1
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 13.4
DXO Low light score not tested 1016
Other
Battery life 330 shots 430 shots
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI-92B NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 or 5 images))
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Launch pricing $350 $699