Olympus E-420 vs Olympus TG-860

Following is a detailed comparison of the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus TG-860, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Waterproof and both of them are built by Olympus. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and TG-860 (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and TG-860 (1/2.3") have different sensor size.

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The E-420 was released 7 years before the TG-860 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-420 grades vs the TG-860 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-420 & Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Olympus TG-860 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 has outside measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Olympus TG-860 has proportions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs).

See the Olympus E-420 versus Olympus TG-860 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the E-420 and the TG-860.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and TG-860 is 77 and 91 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizes purely by viewing specifications. The image below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and TG-860.

To sum up, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-420 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus TG-860 will provide you with greater detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.