Olympus TG-6 vs Sony A9 III
The Olympus Tough TG-6 and the Sony Alpha A9 III are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in May 2019 and November 2023. The TG-6 is a fixed lens compact, while the A9 III is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on a 1/2.3-inch (TG-6) and a full frame (A9 III) sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 12 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 24 MP.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus Tough TG-6 and the Sony Alpha A9 III? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus TG-6 and the Sony A9 III is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The TG-6 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the A9 III is only available in black.
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A9 III is considerably larger (77 percent) than the Olympus TG-6. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments. More than that, the TG-6 is water-proof up to 15m and can, thus, be used for underwater photography.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the TG-6 has a lens built in, whereas the A9 III is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the A9 III and their specifications in the Sony FE Lens Catalog.
Concerning battery life, the TG-6 gets 340 shots out of its Olympus LI-92B battery, while the A9 III can take 530 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FZ100 power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, which can be very convenient when travelling.
The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.
Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Olympus TG-6 | 113 mm | 66 mm | 32 mm | 253 g | 340 | Y | May 2019 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
2. | Sony A9 III | 136 mm | 97 mm | 83 mm | 702 g | 530 | Y | Nov 2023 | US$ 5 999 | amazon.com | |
3. | Canon SX740 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 40 mm | 299 g | 265 | n | Jul 2018 | US$ 399 | amazon.com | |
4. | Nikon W300 | 112 mm | 66 mm | 29 mm | 231 g | 280 | Y | May 2017 | US$ 389 | ebay.com | |
5. | Olympus E-PM1 | 110 mm | 64 mm | 34 mm | 265 g | 330 | n | Jun 2011 | US$ 499 | ebay.com | |
6. | Olympus TG-4 | 112 mm | 66 mm | 31 mm | 247 g | 380 | Y | Apr 2015 | US$ 379 | ebay.com | |
7. | Olympus TG-5 | 113 mm | 66 mm | 32 mm | 250 g | 340 | Y | May 2017 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
8. | Olympus XZ-1 | 111 mm | 65 mm | 42 mm | 275 g | 320 | n | Jan 2011 | US$ 499 | ebay.com | |
9. | OM System TG-7 | 114 mm | 66 mm | 33 mm | 249 g | 330 | Y | Sep 2023 | US$ 549 | amazon.com | |
10. | Panasonic TS7 | 117 mm | 76 mm | 37 mm | 319 g | 300 | Y | May 2018 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
11. | Ricoh WG-6 | 118 mm | 66 mm | 33 mm | 246 g | 340 | Y | Feb 2019 | US$ 399 | amazon.com | |
12. | Sony A1 | 129 mm | 97 mm | 81 mm | 737 g | 530 | Y | Jan 2021 | US$ 6 499 | amazon.com | |
13. | Sony A7 II | 127 mm | 96 mm | 60 mm | 599 g | 350 | Y | Nov 2014 | US$ 1 999 | ebay.com | |
14. | Sony A7 III | 127 mm | 96 mm | 74 mm | 650 g | 610 | Y | Feb 2018 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
15. | Sony A9 | 127 mm | 96 mm | 63 mm | 673 g | 650 | Y | Apr 2017 | US$ 4 499 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony A9 II | 129 mm | 96 mm | 76 mm | 678 g | 690 | Y | Oct 2019 | US$ 4 499 | amazon.com | |
17. | Sony HX99 | 102 mm | 58 mm | 36 mm | 242 g | 370 | n | Aug 2018 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The TG-6 was launched at a lower price than the A9 III, despite having a lens built in. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.
Sensor comparison
The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Of the two cameras under consideration, the Olympus TG-6 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and the Sony A9 III a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the A9 III is 2925 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 5.6 and 1.0. The sensor in the TG-6 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the A9 III offers a 3:2 aspect.
With 24MP, the A9 III offers a higher resolution than the TG-6 (12MP), but the A9 III nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 5.94μm versus 1.53μm for the TG-6) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the A9 III is a much more recent model (by 4 years and 5 months) than the TG-6, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.
The resolution advantage of the Sony A9 III implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the A9 III for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus TG-6 are 20 x 15 inches or 50.8 x 38.1 cm for good quality, 16 x 12 inches or 40.6 x 30.5 cm for very good quality, and 13.3 x 10 inches or 33.9 x 25.4 cm for excellent quality prints.
The A9 III has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.
The Olympus Tough TG-6 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 12800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A9 III are ISO 250 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 125-51200.
In terms of underlying technology, the TG-6 is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the A9 III uses a Stacked CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.
Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Olympus TG-6 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 4K/30p | 20.7 | 12.2 | 1127 | 52 | |
2. | Sony A9 III | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/120p | 25.4 | 14.7 | 3243 | 96 | |
3. | Canon SX740 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 20.6 | 12.1 | 1050 | 51 | |
4. | Nikon W300 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 4K/30p | 20.5 | 12.0 | 938 | 50 | |
5. | Olympus E-PM1 | Four Thirds | 12.2 | 4032 | 3024 | 1080/60i | 21.0 | 10.3 | 499 | 52 | |
6. | Olympus TG-4 | 1/2.3 | 15.9 | 4608 | 3456 | 1080/30p | 20.2 | 11.6 | 737 | 47 | |
7. | Olympus TG-5 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 4K/30p | 20.5 | 11.9 | 934 | 50 | |
8. | Olympus XZ-1 | 1/1.7 | 10.1 | 3664 | 2752 | 720/30p | 18.8 | 10.4 | 117 | 34 | |
9. | OM System TG-7 | 1/2.3 | 12.0 | 4000 | 3000 | 4K/30p | 20.9 | 12.7 | 1553 | 54 | |
10. | Panasonic TS7 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 20.6 | 12.1 | 1028 | 51 | |
11. | Ricoh WG-6 | 1/2.3 | 20.2 | 5184 | 3888 | 4K/30p | 20.7 | 12.2 | 1104 | 52 | |
12. | Sony A1 | Full Frame | 49.8 | 8640 | 5760 | 8k/30p | 25.9 | 14.5 | 3163 | 98 | |
13. | Sony A7 II | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.9 | 13.6 | 2449 | 90 | |
14. | Sony A7 III | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/30p | 25.0 | 14.7 | 3730 | 96 | |
15. | Sony A9 | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/30p | 24.9 | 13.3 | 3517 | 92 | |
16. | Sony A9 II | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/30p | 25.0 | 14.0 | 3434 | 93 | |
17. | Sony HX99 | 1/2.3 | 18.0 | 4896 | 3672 | 4K/30p | 20.6 | 12.1 | 1058 | 51 | |
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. |
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the A9 III provides a faster frame rate than the TG-6. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/120p, while the Olympus is limited to 4K/30p.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A9 III has an electronic viewfinder (9440k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight. In contrast, the TG-6 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Olympus TG-6 and Sony A9 III in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.
Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Olympus TG-6 | none | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 20.0/s | Y | Y | |
2. | Sony A9 III | 9440 | n | 3.2 / 2100 | full-flex | Y | 1/80000s | 120.0/s | n | Y | |
3. | Canon SX740 | none | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/3200s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
4. | Nikon W300 | none | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 7.0/s | Y | Y | |
5. | Olympus E-PM1 | optional | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 5.5/s | n | Y | |
6. | Olympus TG-4 | none | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 5.0/s | Y | Y | |
7. | Olympus TG-5 | none | n | 3.0 / 460 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 20.0/s | Y | Y | |
8. | Olympus XZ-1 | optional | n | 3.0 / 614 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 2.0/s | Y | Y | |
9. | OM System TG-7 | none | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/2000s | 20.0/s | Y | Y | |
10. | Panasonic TS7 | 1170 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/1300s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
11. | Ricoh WG-6 | none | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 1.0/s | Y | n | |
12. | Sony A1 | 9437 | n | 3.0 / 1440 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
13. | Sony A7 II | 2400 | n | 3.0 / 1230 | tilting | n | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | n | Y | |
14. | Sony A7 III | 2359 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 10.0/s | n | Y | |
15. | Sony A9 | 3686 | n | 3.0 / 1440 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 20.0/s | n | Y | |
16. | Sony A9 II | 3686 | n | 3.0 / 1440 | tilting | Y | 1/8000s | 20.0/s | n | Y | |
17. | Sony HX99 | 638 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | Y | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The TG-6 has one, while the A9 III does not. While the built-in flash of the TG-6 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.
The A9 III has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the TG-6 does not have a selfie-screen.The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the A9 III is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).
The Olympus TG-6 and the Sony A9 III both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.
The TG-6 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A9 III uses CFexpress (type A) or SDXC cards. The A9 III features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the TG-6 only has one slot. The A9 III supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the TG-6 can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus Tough TG-6 and Sony Alpha A9 III and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Olympus TG-6 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
2. | Sony A9 III | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | full | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
3. | Canon SX740 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | Y | |
4. | Nikon W300 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | Y | |
5. | Olympus E-PM1 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Olympus TG-4 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
7. | Olympus TG-5 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
8. | Olympus XZ-1 | Y | mono / - | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | OM System TG-7 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
10. | Panasonic TS7 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
11. | Ricoh WG-6 | - | mono / mono | - | - | micro | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
12. | Sony A1 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | full | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
13. | Sony A7 II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
14. | Sony A7 III | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 3.1 | Y | Y | Y | |
15. | Sony A9 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | Y | |
16. | Sony A9 II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 3.1 | Y | Y | Y | |
17. | Sony HX99 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | Y |
It is notable that the A9 III has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The TG-6 does not feature such a mic input.
Studio photographers will appreciate that the Sony A9 III (unlike the TG-6) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.
Travel and landscape photographers will find it useful that the TG-6 has an internal geolocalization sensor and can record GPS coordinates in its EXIF data.
The A9 III is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Sony. In contrast, the TG-6 has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the TG-6 was succeeded by the OM System TG-7. Further information on the features and operation of the TG-6 and A9 III can be found, respectively, in the Olympus TG-6 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A9 III Manual.
Review summary
So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Olympus TG-6 or the Sony A9 III – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.
Reasons to prefer the Olympus Tough TG-6:
- Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the A9 III requires a separate lens.
- More compact: Is smaller (113x66mm vs 136x97mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
- Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the A9 III).
- Water-proof: Is rugged and sealed and can thus be used for underwater photography (up to 15m).
- Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
- Easier geotagging: Features an internal GPS sensor to log localization data.
- More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
- More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in May 2019).
Advantages of the Sony Alpha A9 III:
- More detail: Has more megapixels (24 vs 12MP), which boosts linear resolution by 44%.
- Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
- Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
- More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
- Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
- Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4K/120p versus 4K/30p).
- Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
- Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
- Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
- Easier framing: Has an electronic viewfinder for image composition and settings control.
- Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
- More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2100k vs 1040k dots).
- More flexible LCD: Has a full-flex screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
- Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/80000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (120 vs 20 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
- More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
- Longer lasting: Gets more shots (530 versus 340) out of a single battery charge.
- Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
- Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
- More solid recording: Has a full-sized HDMI port for a sturdy connection to an external recorder.
- Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
- Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
- Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
- Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
- More modern: Reflects 4 years and 5 months of technical progress since the TG-6 launch.
If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the A9 III is the clear winner of the contest (28 : 8 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus TG-6 and the Sony A9 III place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the TG-6 and the A9 III in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.
Expert reviews
This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Olympus TG-6 | 4/5 | + + | 4.5/5 | 76/100 | 4/5 | 4/5 | May 2019 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
2. | Sony A9 III | 4.5/5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | Nov 2023 | US$ 5 999 | amazon.com | |
3. | Canon SX740 | .. | + | 3.5/5 | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Jul 2018 | US$ 399 | amazon.com | |
4. | Nikon W300 | .. | + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | May 2017 | US$ 389 | ebay.com | |
5. | Olympus E-PM1 | .. | 86/100 | .. | 71/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2011 | US$ 499 | ebay.com | |
6. | Olympus TG-4 | .. | + | .. | 79/100 | 4/5 | 4/5 | Apr 2015 | US$ 379 | ebay.com | |
7. | Olympus TG-5 | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | May 2017 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
8. | Olympus XZ-1 | 4/5 | .. | .. | 74/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2011 | US$ 499 | ebay.com | |
9. | OM System TG-7 | 4/5 | .. | 4.5/5 | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Sep 2023 | US$ 549 | amazon.com | |
10. | Panasonic TS7 | .. | + | .. | .. | .. | 3.5/5 | May 2018 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
11. | Ricoh WG-6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | Feb 2019 | US$ 399 | amazon.com | |
12. | Sony A1 | 5/5 | o | 4.5/5 | 93/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Jan 2021 | US$ 6 499 | amazon.com | |
13. | Sony A7 II | 5/5 | + | 4/5 | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Nov 2014 | US$ 1 999 | ebay.com | |
14. | Sony A7 III | .. | + + | 4.5/5 | 89/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2018 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
15. | Sony A9 | 5/5 | + + | 4.8/5 | 89/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Apr 2017 | US$ 4 499 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony A9 II | .. | .. | 5/5 | 90/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Oct 2019 | US$ 4 499 | amazon.com | |
17. | Sony HX99 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4.5/5 | Aug 2018 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.
- Canon 1D vs Olympus TG-6
- Canon 350D vs Olympus TG-6
- Canon T100 vs Sony A9 III
- Fujifilm X100S vs Sony A9 III
- Hasselblad X1D vs Olympus TG-6
- Nikon D610 vs Sony A9 III
- Nikon D7200 vs Sony A9 III
- Nikon Z30 vs Olympus TG-6
- Olympus TG-6 vs Panasonic GH5 II
- Olympus TG-6 vs Sony A3000
- Sony A6400 vs Sony A9 III
- Sony A7C R vs Sony A9 III
Specifications: Olympus TG-6 vs Sony A9 III
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Olympus TG-6 | Sony A9 III |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Fixed lens compact camera | Mirrorless system camera |
Camera Lens | 25-100mm f/2.0-4.9 | Sony E mount lenses |
Launch Date | May 2019 | November 2023 |
Launch Price | USD 449 | USD 5,999 |
Sensor Specs | Olympus TG-6 | Sony A9 III |
Sensor Technology | BSI-CMOS | Stacked CMOS |
Sensor Format | 1/2.3" Sensor | Full Frame Sensor |
Sensor Size | 6.17 x 4.55 mm | 35.6 x 23.8 mm |
Sensor Area | 28.0735 mm2 | 847.28 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 7.7 mm | 42.8 mm |
Crop Factor | 5.6x | 1.0x |
Sensor Resolution | 12 Megapixels | 24 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 4000 x 3000 pixels | 6000 x 4000 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 1.53 μm | 5.94 μm |
Pixel Density | 42.74 MP/cm2 | 2.83 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | Anti-Alias filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | 4K/30p Video | 4K/120p Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 12,800 ISO | 250 - 25,600 ISO |
ISO Boost | no Enhancement | 125 - 51,200 ISO |
Image Processor | TruePic VIII | Dual BIONZ XR |
Screen Specs | Olympus TG-6 | Sony A9 III |
Viewfinder Type | no viewfinder | Electronic viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.9x | |
Viewfinder Resolution | 9440k dots | |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 3.2inch |
LCD Resolution | 1040k dots | 2100k dots |
LCD Attachment | Fixed screen | Fully flexible screen |
Touch Input | no Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
Shooting Specs | Olympus TG-6 | Sony A9 III |
Focus System | Contrast-detect AF | On-Sensor Phase-detect |
Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | Focus Peaking |
Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) | 1/2000s | 1/80000s |
Continuous Shooting | 20 shutter flaps/s | 120 shutter flaps/s |
Electronic Shutter | no E-Shutter | up to 1/80000s |
Time-Lapse Photography | Intervalometer built-in | Intervalometer built-in |
Image Stabilization | In-body stabilization | In-body stabilization |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | no On-Board Flash |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | CFexA or SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Dual card slots |
UHS card support | UHS-I | UHS-II |
Connectivity Specs | Olympus TG-6 | Sony A9 III |
External Flash | no Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
Studio Flash | no PC Sync | PC Sync socket |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 3.2 |
HDMI Port | micro HDMI | full HDMI |
Microphone Port | no MIC socket | External MIC port |
Headphone Socket | no Headphone port | Headphone port |
Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | Wifi built-in |
Bluetooth Support | no Bluetooth | Bluetooth built-in |
Geotagging | GPS built-in | no internal GPS |
Body Specs | Olympus TG-6 | Sony A9 III |
Environmental Sealing | Waterproof body (15m) | Weathersealed body |
Battery Type | Olympus LI-92B | Sony NP-FZ100 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 340 shots per charge | 530 shots per charge |
In-Camera Charging | USB charging | USB charging |
Body Dimensions |
113 x 66 x 32 mm (4.4 x 2.6 x 1.3 in) |
136 x 97 x 83 mm (5.4 x 3.8 x 3.3 in) |
Camera Weight | 253 g (8.9 oz) | 702 g (24.8 oz) |
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