Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-310

Here is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-PL5 versus Olympus TG-310, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Waterproof and both of them are produced by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the TG-310 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and TG-310 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was manufactured 21 months later than the TG-310 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-310 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a more detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL5 scores against the TG-310 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Olympus TG-310. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Olympus TG-310 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with physical dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Olympus TG-310 has sizing of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL5 versus Olympus TG-310 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL5 compared to the TG-310.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and TG-310 is 88 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it can be tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizing purely by checking specs. The visual below might offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and TG-310.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus E-PL5 will give more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The younger E-PL5 is going to have an edge in sensor tech.