Olympus E-1 vs Olympus TG-5

Following is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus E-1 and Olympus TG-5, former is a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Waterproof and both of them are built by Olympus. There exists a considerable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and TG-5 (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and TG-5 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was manufactured 14 years before the TG-5 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus TG-5 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-1 scores versus the TG-5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 & Olympus Tough TG-5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Olympus TG-5 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-1 has got outer dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Olympus TG-5 has specifications of 113mm x 66mm x 32mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-1 and Olympus TG-5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-1 versus the TG-5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and TG-5 is 59 and 90 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizes simply by checking technical specs. The picture here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and TG-5.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus TG-5 will give you extra detail due to its extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures much more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.