Olympus E-PL2 vs Olympus TG-830 iHS

Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus E-PL2 and Olympus TG-830 iHS, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof and they are both designed by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and TG-830 iHS (16MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and TG-830 iHS (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL2 was revealed 23 months earlier than the TG-830 iHS which makes them a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-830 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PL2 grades vs the TG-830 iHS with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Olympus TG-830 iHS. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Olympus TG-830 iHS Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL2 features physical dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) and the Olympus TG-830 iHS has specifications of 109mm x 67mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL2 and Olympus TG-830 iHS in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL2 versus the TG-830 iHS.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and TG-830 iHS is 85 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading through technical specs. The pic here may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL2 and TG-830 iHS.

As you can tell, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL2 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus TG-830 iHS will give extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.