Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20
90 Imaging
40 Features
46 Overall
42


96 Imaging
39 Features
50 Overall
43
Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20 Key Specs
(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
- Released March 2014
- Renewed by Olympus TG-4
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 125 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-100mm (F3.5-4.6) lens
- 133g - 96 x 56 x 18mm
- Announced February 2012

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20 Overview
Its time to look closer at the Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TG-3 (16MP) and the TX20 (16MP) is relatively close and they come with the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

The TG-3 was revealed 2 years after the TX20 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony TX20 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the TG-3 matches up vs the TX20 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Tough TG-3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-3 Gallery & Sony TX20 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-3 over the Sony TX20
TG-3 | TX20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | March 2014 | ![]() | February 2012 | More modern by 26 months |
Reasons to pick Sony TX20 over the Olympus TG-3
TX20 | TG-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very precise focus | ||
Screen resolution | 922k | ![]() | 460k | Sharper screen (+462k dot) |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Common features in the Olympus TG-3 and Sony TX20
TG-3 | TX20 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen size |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither includes selfie screen |
Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20 Physical Comparison
For those who are going to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-3 features external 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) while the Sony TX20 has sizing of 96mm x 56mm x 18mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the TG-3 compared to the TX20.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the TG-3 and TX20 is 90 and 96 respectively.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizes purely by viewing specs. The image here will offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-3 and TX20.
All in all, both of those cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing and the exact same megapixels and you can expect comparable quality of images although you should always consider the launch date of the cameras into account. The younger TG-3 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-3 vs Sony TX20 Specifications
Olympus Tough TG-3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus Tough TG-3 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 |
Type | Waterproof | Ultracompact |
Released | 2014-03-31 | 2012-02-28 |
Body design | Compact | Ultracompact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic VII | BIONZ |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 16MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4608 x 3456 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 125 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Cross type focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 25-100mm (4.0x) | 25-100mm (4.0x) |
Largest aperture | f/2.0-4.9 | f/3.5-4.6 |
Macro focusing range | 1cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of display | 460 thousand dot | 922 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display tech | TFT-LCD | XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 4 seconds | 4 seconds |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/1600 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 5.0 frames per second | 10.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | - | 3.70 m |
Flash settings | Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB 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) | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
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 seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 247 grams (0.54 pounds) | 133 grams (0.29 pounds) |
Dimensions | 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") | 96 x 56 x 18mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") |
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 photos | 250 photos |
Style of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LI-92B | NP-BN |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | One | One |
Retail price | $350 | $330 |