Olympus E-420 vs Olympus TG-820 iHS

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-420 vs Olympus TG-820 iHS, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Waterproof and both of them are designed by Olympus. The resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the TG-820 iHS (12MP) is pretty close but the E-420 (Four Thirds) and TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-420 was revealed 4 years prior to the TG-820 iHS and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the E-420 matches up against the TG-820 iHS for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 and Olympus TG-820 iHS. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Olympus TG-820 iHS Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-420 features 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) while the Olympus TG-820 iHS has sizing of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") and a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-420 vs Olympus TG-820 iHS in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-420 compared to the TG-820 iHS.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and TG-820 iHS is 77 and 92 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing purely by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic here might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and TG-820 iHS.

Clearly, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-420 having a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus TG-820 iHS will render extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The older E-420 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.