Olympus E-500 vs Olympus TG-870

Let's look closer at the Olympus E-500 and Olympus TG-870, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Ultracompact and both are manufactured by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and TG-870 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and TG-870 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was introduced 11 years earlier than the TG-870 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-500 scores vs the TG-870 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-500 & Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Olympus TG-870 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera often, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 has got external measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Olympus TG-870 has dimensions of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-500 and Olympus TG-870 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-500 versus the TG-870.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and TG-870 is 70 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizes just by researching specifications. The picture here might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-500 and TG-870.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-500 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus TG-870 will render more detail using its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.