Olympus E-P2 vs Olympus TG-870

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-P2 and Olympus TG-870, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact and they are both built by Olympus. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the E-P2 (12MP) and TG-870 (16MP) and the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and TG-870 (1/2.3") posses different sensor measurements.

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The E-P2 was released 6 years earlier than the TG-870 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-P2 scores against the TG-870 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Olympus TG-870 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-P2 provides outside dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") and a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Olympus TG-870 has specifications of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-P2 and Olympus TG-870 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the E-P2 versus the TG-870.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P2 and TG-870 is 86 and 91 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading through technical specs. The image underneath might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P2 and TG-870.

As you can tell, both cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-P2 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus TG-870 will give you more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-P2 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.