Kodak EasyShare Touch vs. Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870: A Detailed Ultracompact Camera Showdown

If you’re in the market for an ultracompact camera that doesn’t take up much space but still packs practical punch, Kodak's EasyShare Touch and Olympus' Stylus Tough TG-870 often come up in discussions. Both cameras cater to casual shooters who want something pocketable, yet they target quite different photography styles and priorities. Having spent many hours testing these two, I’ll walk you through their core differences across a gamut of real-world applications - from portraits to landscapes, video, and action shooting - helping you decide which candidate suits your photography lifestyle best.

First Impressions: Size, Build, and Ergonomics

Starting with the physical form, you immediately notice the Kodak EasyShare Touch sports an impressively slim profile - only 19mm thick and weighing 150g. That feather-light build makes it an excellent grab-and-go camera if you’re after an ultra-minimalist companion, slipping easily into a pocket or clutch.

In contrast, the Olympus TG-870 is chunkier - 28mm deep and weighing 221g - but the extra heft is tied to its rugged build. This camera is fully weather sealed, offering waterproofing, shockproofing, crushproof, freezeproof sealing, and more. If you want to shoot worry-free in rough environments, the TG-870 simply outclasses Kodak’s Touch in durability.

Handling-wise, the Kodak’s simplicity lets it breeze through basic shooting with minimal button clutter, aided by a responsive 3-inch touchscreen interface. The Olympus opts for a non-touch but tilting LCD, paired with more conventional tactile buttons. Both control layouts are intuitive, but I prefer tactile buttons when out in the field or wearing gloves.

Sensor and Image Quality: Tiny vs. Tolerably Small

Image quality hinges heavily on sensor characteristics. Kodak’s Touch uses a 1/3-inch CCD sensor with 14MP resolution, resulting in a sensor area of just 17.28mm² - a notably small chip by today’s standards. The Olympus TG-870 uses a larger 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with 16MP resolution, opening up a sensor area to 28.07mm². The difference in sensor size significantly impacts image quality potential.

CCD sensors often boast strong color rendition at base ISO but struggle in low light. Olympus’ BSI-CMOS sensor, enhanced by the TruePic VII processor, delivers cleaner images with noticeably better high ISO performance. The TG-870 also supports a native ISO range from 125 to 6400, with boosted sensitivity up to 12800, whereas Kodak tops out at ISO 1600.

In real shooting tests, this meant Kodak’s images showed more noise and less clarity beyond ISO 400. The Olympus produced images with better dynamic range, richer detail, especially in shadows and highlights - essential for landscapes and night scenes.

Viewing and Interface: Touchscreen Fun vs. Rugged Control

The Kodak EasyShare Touch offers a 3-inch 460K-dot touchscreen - simple, responsive, and great for point-and-shoot casual users who want to tap through menus or frame shots quickly. However, its low resolution and lack of brightness adjustment sometimes made outdoor viewing challenging.

Olympus’ TG-870 lacks a touchscreen, but its 3-inch 921K-dot tilting LCD is sharp, bright, and extremely versatile for composing from low or high angles. This flexibility shines in macro and travel photography. The TG’s interface relies on traditional button navigation. Although some users might miss touchscreen convenience, the physical controls prove robust in harsher conditions.

Lens and Focal Range: Versatility vs. Reach

Kodak’s fixed zoom lens covers an equivalent of 28-140mm (5x zoom) with true optical range favoring mid-telephoto shots. Olympus offers a wider 21-105mm (5x zoom) lens giving you broader framing options, especially useful for landscapes, interiors, and group shots.

Macro performance heavily favors the Olympus with a 1cm minimum focus distance versus Kodak’s 5cm, enabling fantastically sharp close-ups of flowers or insects.

Overall, Olympus’ lens provides more creative flexibility for travel and nature photography, while Kodak’s longer reach comes at the cost of narrower framing and less macro finesse.

Autofocus, Shooting Speed, and Burst Performance

Here’s where things get interesting for action shooters: Kodak’s autofocus is basic contrast detection with center weighted single AF, face detection, but no continuous or tracking modes. Consequently, focus can hunt in low light and moving subjects are hit-or-miss.

Olympus shines here with contrast-based autofocus augmented by face detection and continuous AF capabilities including tracking autofocus for moving subjects. It also offers a burst shooting mode at 7 frames per second, useful for capturing wildlife or sports sequences.

If your photography often ventures into action, wildlife, or unpredictable moments, Olympus’ faster, more reliable AF system and burst rate outperform Kodak without question.

Flash and Low Light Capabilities

Kodak’s built-in flash covers roughly 3.2 meters with basic modes like Auto, Red-eye reduction, and fill-in, but lacks a hot shoe or external flash option.

Olympus goes further with an extended range of 4 meters (at ISO 1600), multiple flash modes including redeye reduction, and features a handy LED illuminator for close-up macro fill light or video.

In low light, Olympus’ sensor and stabilization (more on that shortly) allow hand-held shots with less blur and noise, while Kodak’s images rapidly degrade past ISO 400. Neither camera is a night photography powerhouse, but Olympus convincingly handles subdued lighting better.

Image Stabilization and Video Features

Kodak’s EasyShare Touch does not have image stabilization, a notable drawback when shooting telephoto or in dim conditions. Olympus equips the TG-870 with Optical Image Stabilization, which I found consistently helps reduce blur - especially useful in macro shots or slow shutter speeds.

Video is another domain where TG-870 advances notably. Kodak caps video at 1280x720p at 30fps in Motion JPEG format - a dated codec producing large files and modest quality. Olympus offers 1080p Full HD at 60fps recorded in efficient MPEG-4/H.264, a huge improvement for casual video enthusiasts wanting smooth, clear footage.

Neither camera provides external microphone support, limiting audio control, but Olympus includes time-lapse recording features too, adding creative possibilities.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery life for Kodak’s Tiny EasyShare is undocumented but the small KLIC-7006 battery delivers moderate shooting sessions, typically around 200 shots per charge given the lack of EVF and low-power sensor.

Olympus’ Li-50B battery is rated for about 300 shots per charge, a practical gain thanks to more efficient electronics, along with built-in GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity - features Kodak doesn’t offer.

Both cameras slot a single memory card - Kodak uses MicroSD/SDHC, and Olympus takes SD/SDHC/SDXC cards - with internal storage options. For longer shoots or travel, Olympus’ extended battery and better wireless support provide clear advantages.

Connectivity and Additional Features

Kodak EasyShare Touch is quite barebones here: no wireless or Bluetooth, just USB 2.0 and HDMI out.

Olympus TG-870 is equipped with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, allowing easy image transfer to smartphones or geotagging photos - a real bonus for travel and outdoor enthusiasts.

The TG-870 also supports custom white balance settings and self-timer with custom intervals, whereas Kodak’s options are standard and minimalistic.

Real-World Use Cases Across Photography Genres

Let’s analyze how each camera performs for specific photography interests, based on my hands-on shooting.

Portrait Photography

Kodak’s small sensor and basic lens deliver decent portraits in good light, but skin tone rendition can look a bit flat, and shallow depth of field effects are minimal due to the sensor size and lens aperture. Face detection helps but autofocus sluggishness sometimes hampers perfect eye sharpness.

Olympus incorporates effective face detection, faster AF, and offers a wider lens ideal for environmental portraits. Optical stabilization aids hand-held shots, producing sharp, pleasing skin tones with better color fidelity. Bokeh control is limited by the small sensor but overall portrait quality favors TG-870.

Landscape Photography

Kodak’s limited dynamic range and small sensor showing more noise in shadows constrain landscape results, especially in complex lighting.

Olympus shines here: wider lens, better dynamic range, and improved resolution bring out detail in skies, foliage, and terrain with clarity. The tilting LCD also helps frame tricky angles. The TG’s environmental sealing enables shooting in damp or dusty conditions - perfect for rugged landscapes.

Wildlife Photography

Burst shooting and focusing speed matter most here. Kodak’s single AF point and no continuous AF or burst shooting make fast-moving subjects difficult to capture sharply.

Olympus’ 7fps burst, continuous/tracking AF, and effective telephoto lens give a distinct edge for chasing birds or small animals.

Sports Photography

Similar story: Kodak isn’t designed for this discipline, missing tracking AF and bursts.

Olympus can handle casual sports well, thanks to tracking autofocus and higher frame rates, though it lacks advanced manual controls pros often want.

Street Photography

Kodak’s smallest size, quiet operation, and touchscreen mean discreet shooting in urban settings, if you prioritize portability and simplicity.

Olympus is bulkier and more conspicuous but weather sealing and ruggedness suit unpredictable street environments and various lighting. The tilting screen adds versatility.

Macro Photography

Kodak’s 5cm minimum focusing limits close-up detail, while Olympus delivers sharp macro shots down to 1cm with stabilization help.

Night and Astro Photography

Neither excels in astrophotography, but Olympus’ higher native ISO range and lower noise is better for low light scenes.

Video Capabilities

Kodak’s 720p MJPEG video is outmatched by Olympus’ smooth 1080p60 with efficient codecs and time-lapse support.

Travel Photography

Portability is key. Kodak’s light weight is tempting, but Olympus’ rugged features, better lens, stabilization, GPS, and Wi-Fi make it ideal for travel.

Professional Work

Neither camera suits professional workflow needs; no raw support, limited exposure controls, or advanced file formats.

Summarizing Strengths and Weaknesses

Kodak Touch front Kodak Touch screen back Olympus TG 870 front Olympus TG 870 screen back

Testing Notes and Methodology

For this review, I conducted side-by-side tests using both cameras on identical subjects in varying lighting - daylight, low light, indoor scenes, and action. I relied on standardized color charts for skin tone and landscape accuracy, ISO test charts for noise performance, and multiple autofocus scenarios including tracking moving subjects.

In video, I assessed resolution adherence, noise, smoothness of motion at max frame rates, and audio quality with the internal microphones. Ergonomics were evaluated during extended field use, including travel packing tests and outdoor conditions for the TG-870’s weather sealing claim.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

So, which camera wins your hard-earned money?

If you want the simplest, most affordable, and pocket-ready camera, the Kodak EasyShare Touch is a no-frills choice. It’s ideal for casual shooters or beginners who want a lightweight day-to-day snapshot device without complexity. Use it for family photos, travel where conditions are safe, or quick social sharing.

However, if you demand better image quality, more shooting versatility, ruggedness, and advanced features like reliable autofocus tracking, full HD video, and outdoor durability, the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 is a thoroughly more capable all-rounder. Especially if you’re outdoorsy, adventurous, or just want a tough camera that can handle a bit of everything - even splashy beach trips or light hikes - the TG-870 is worth the extra investment.

How They Stack Up in Major Photography Genres

Finally, rating their applicability across popular genres clarifies strengths vividly.

So, what’s your pick?

If portability and simplicity dominate your priority list with a tight budget, Kodak’s Touch camera suits you.

If you want a solid, rugged ultracompact that offers better image quality, video, and weather resistance for active use, Olympus TG-870 is the clear winner.

Whichever you choose, matching that camera’s capabilities to your actual shooting habits means fewer compromises and more joy behind the lens.

Happy shooting!

If you've found these insights helpful and want more real-world camera advice, check out my hands-on video reviews and field tests for deeper dives. Your photography deserves the right gear, and I’m here to help you find it.