Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-820 iHS

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus TG-820 iHS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Waterproof and they are both offered by Olympus. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and TG-820 iHS (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL5 was brought out 8 months after the TG-820 iHS which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-PL5 matches up against the TG-820 iHS with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Olympus TG-820 iHS. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Olympus TG-820 iHS Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Olympus TG-820 iHS has measurements of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") along with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus TG-820 iHS in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL5 vs the TG-820 iHS.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and TG-820 iHS is 88 and 92 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to picture the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing technical specs. The picture below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and TG-820 iHS.

As you can tell, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-PL5 will deliver extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-PL5 provides an edge in sensor innovation.