Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus TG-870

Below, we are comparing the Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus TG-870, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact and both are produced by Olympus. There exists a sizable gap among the resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and TG-870 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and TG-870 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor size.

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The E-P1 was unveiled 7 years before the TG-870 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-P1 matches up vs the TG-870 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Olympus TG-870 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 offers external measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) and the Olympus TG-870 has proportions of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P1 vs Olympus TG-870 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-P1 compared to the TG-870.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and TG-870 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to imagine the difference in sensor measurements just by researching specifications. The graphic underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and TG-870.

Plainly, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus TG-870 will result in more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.