Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7
90 Imaging
40 Features
46 Overall
42


84 Imaging
63 Features
71 Overall
66
Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Key Specs
(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
(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

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.

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.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Tough TG-3 and Sony Alpha NEX-7. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus TG-3 Gallery and Sony NEX-7 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Sony NEX-7
TG-3 | NEX-7 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | March 2014 | ![]() | December 2011 | More 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 type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 460k | Clearer display (+461k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus TG-3 and Sony NEX-7
TG-3 | NEX-7 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 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.
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.

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 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 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony NEX-7 Specifications
Olympus Tough TG-3 | Sony 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 |