Olympus E-M1X vs Olympus TG-870

In this article, we are matching up the Olympus E-M1X and Olympus TG-870, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-M1X (20MP) and TG-870 (16MP) and the E-M1X (Four Thirds) and TG-870 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The E-M1X was revealed 3 years after the TG-870 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1X being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-M1X grades versus the TG-870 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1X & Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1X Gallery & Olympus TG-870 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1X offers exterior measurements of 144mm x 147mm x 75mm (5.7" x 5.8" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 997 grams (2.20 lbs) and the Olympus TG-870 has sizing of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M1X and Olympus TG-870 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the E-M1X against the TG-870.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1X and TG-870 is 54 and 91 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes purely by viewing specifications. The picture below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1X and TG-870.

To sum up, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-M1X with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M1X will render extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The more recent E-M1X should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.