Olympus E-5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Waterproof and they are both offered by Olympus. The resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the TG-2 iHS (12MP) is fairly well matched but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and TG-2 iHS (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was revealed 3 years before the TG-2 iHS which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus TG-2 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-5 scores vs the TG-2 iHS in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 and Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Olympus TG-2 iHS Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-5 features outside measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Olympus TG-2 iHS has specifications of 111mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use during that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-5 against the TG-2 iHS.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-5 and TG-2 iHS is 58 and 91 respectively.

Usually, its hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes only by checking specs. The image underneath should give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and TG-2 iHS.

All in all, both of these cameras have the same resolution but different sensor sizes. The E-5 features the larger sensor which is going to make obtaining bokeh simpler. The more aged E-5 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.