Olympus E-500 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-500 and Olympus TG-2 iHS, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Waterproof and they are both sold by Olympus. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and TG-2 iHS (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and TG-2 iHS (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-500 was manufactured 8 years prior to the TG-2 iHS and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology 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-2 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-500 grades versus the TG-2 iHS when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Olympus TG-2 iHS Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera often, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-500 comes with outside dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Olympus TG-2 iHS has proportions of 111mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

See the Olympus E-500 and Olympus TG-2 iHS in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-500 compared to the TG-2 iHS.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and TG-2 iHS is 70 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to envision the gap in sensor sizing purely by checking out technical specs. The photograph below should give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and TG-2 iHS.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-500 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus TG-2 iHS will produce more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.