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Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3

Portability
90
Imaging
39
Features
54
Overall
45
Olympus Tough TG-6 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-3 front
Portability
89
Imaging
54
Features
55
Overall
54

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 Key Specs

Olympus TG-6
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 253g - 113 x 66 x 32mm
  • Released May 2019
  • Older Model is Olympus TG-5
Sony NEX-3
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 297g - 117 x 62 x 33mm
  • Launched June 2010
  • Newer Model is Sony NEX-C3
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Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 Overview

Below is a in depth assessment of the Olympus TG-6 and Sony NEX-3, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-6 (12MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is relatively close but the TG-6 (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The TG-6 was announced 9 years later than the NEX-3 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-6 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the TG-6 scores vs the NEX-3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-6 over the Sony NEX-3

 TG-6 NEX-3 
LaunchedMay 2019June 2010More recent by 110 months
Screen resolution1040k920kSharper screen (+120k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-3 over the Olympus TG-6

 NEX-3 TG-6 
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen

Common features in the Olympus TG-6 and Sony NEX-3

 TG-6 NEX-3 
Manual focus Very precise focus
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen measurement
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Neither has Touch friendly screen

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 Physical Comparison

If you're planning to lug around your camera, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-6 has physical measurements of 113mm x 66mm x 32mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 253 grams (0.56 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has proportions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Compare the Olympus TG-6 and Sony NEX-3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the TG-6 and the NEX-3.

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the TG-6 and NEX-3 is 90 and 89 respectively.

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it is very tough to see the gap in sensor measurements purely by looking through specs. The visual below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-6 and NEX-3.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The TG-6 having a smaller sensor will make getting bokeh tougher and the Sony NEX-3 will render extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The fresher TG-6 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-6 Portrait photography info
Sony NEX-3 Portrait photography info
40
focusing manually
has face detection focusing
saves RAW formats
manual mode not possible
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
72
you can focus manually
good resolution (14MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
comes with face detection autofocus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-6 Street photography details
Sony NEX-3 Street photography details
65
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
saves RAW formats
weather sealing
no moving screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
more heavy than average (253g)
76
screen tilts
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus TG-6
Sports photography with Sony NEX-3
47
fast shooting (20.0 fps)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has tracking autofocus
weather sealing
great battery (340 CIPA)
no shutter priority
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
52
good resolution (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
lack of image stabilization
lack of phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-6 Travel photography advice
Sony NEX-3 Travel photography advice
68
great battery (340 CIPA)
weather sealing
built-in flash
fairly wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
more heavy than average (253 grams)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
59
good resolution (14 megapixels)
does not have Timelapse mode
does not contain selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-6 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-3 as a Landscape photography camera
57
focusing manually
fairly wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
saves RAW formats
weather sealing
great battery (340 shots)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
manual mode not possible
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
68
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3")
good resolution (14MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
does not have Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-6 as a Vlogging camera
Sony NEX-3 as a Vlogging camera
34
fairly wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has face detection focusing
great video quality (3840 x 2160 pxls)
display is not selfie friendly
no external microphone support
more heavy than average (253 grams)
27
comes with face detection autofocus
does not contain selfie friendly display
lack of image stabilization
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external microphone port
Photography Glossary

Olympus TG-6 vs Sony NEX-3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-6 and Sony NEX-3
 Olympus Tough TG-6Sony Alpha NEX-3
General Information
Make Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus Tough TG-6 Sony Alpha NEX-3
Category Waterproof Entry-Level Mirrorless
Released 2019-05-22 2010-06-07
Body design Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VIII Bionz
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 4592 x 3056
Highest native ISO 12800 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 25 25
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Largest aperture f/2.0-4.9 -
Macro focusing range 1cm -
Amount of lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display sizing 3" 3"
Display resolution 1,040 thousand dot 920 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display tech - TFT Xtra Fine LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter speed 20.0 frames per sec 7.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance - 12.00 m
Flash options Auto, Red Eye Reduction, Slow sync. (1st curtain), Red-eye Slow sync. (1st curtain), Fill- in, Manual, Flash Off Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PC 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 3840x2160 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS Built-in None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 253g (0.56 lb) 297g (0.65 lb)
Dimensions 113 x 66 x 32mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") 117 x 62 x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 68
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.1
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.0
DXO Low light rating not tested 830
Other
Battery life 340 shots 330 shots
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID LI-92B NPFW50
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-I support) SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Retail price $449 $0