Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-850 iHS

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL2 and Olympus TG-850 iHS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Waterproof and they are both built by Olympus. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") use different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL2 was introduced 4 years prior to the TG-850 iHS which is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL2 scores against the TG-850 iHS when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL2 features outer measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) and the Olympus TG-850 iHS has proportions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL2 and Olympus TG-850 iHS in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL2 and the TG-850 iHS.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL2 and TG-850 iHS is 85 and 91 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions purely by going over specifications. The pic underneath should provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL2 and TG-850 iHS.

Plainly, each of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL2 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus TG-850 iHS will deliver more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.