Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS
88 Imaging
52 Features
72 Overall
60


91 Imaging
36 Features
42 Overall
38
Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
- Introduced September 2012
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
- 230g - 111 x 67 x 29mm
- Released June 2013

Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS Overview
In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus TG-2 iHS, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof and they are both built by Olympus. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and TG-2 iHS (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and TG-2 iHS (1/2.3") use different sensor size.

The E-PL5 was announced 9 months before the TG-2 iHS so they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-2 iHS being a Compact camera.
Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-PL5 matches up versus the TG-2 iHS when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Olympus TG-2 iHS Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL5 over the Olympus TG-2 iHS
E-PL5 | TG-2 iHS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Dial exact focus | ||
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-2 iHS over the Olympus E-PL5
TG-2 iHS | E-PL5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | June 2013 | ![]() | September 2012 | Fresher by 9 months |
Display resolution | 610k | ![]() | 460k | Clearer display (+150k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus TG-2 iHS
E-PL5 | TG-2 iHS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent display size |
Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to carry your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL5 has outside measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Olympus TG-2 iHS has proportions of 111mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus E-PL5 and Olympus TG-2 iHS in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at the time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL5 vs the TG-2 iHS.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL5 and TG-2 iHS is 88 and 91 respectively.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is hard to picture the difference in sensor sizing just by going through specifications. The visual here will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and TG-2 iHS.
To sum up, both of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-PL5 will provide extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older E-PL5 will be behind in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 vs Olympus TG-2 iHS Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Olympus |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Waterproof |
Introduced | 2012-09-17 | 2013-06-28 |
Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CMOS | BSI-CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 12MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 3968 x 2976 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | - |
Cross focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 25-100mm (4.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/2.0-4.9 |
Macro focus range | - | 1cm |
Amount of lenses | 107 | - |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
Display resolution | 460k dots | 610k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Display tech | - | OLED |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | None |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60s | 4s |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/2000s |
Continuous shutter rate | 8.0fps | 5.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | - |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | - |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | 1/250s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 325 gr (0.72 lbs) | 230 gr (0.51 lbs) |
Dimensions | 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 111 x 67 x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 72 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 889 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 photographs | 350 photographs |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLS-5 | Li-90B |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 and 12 sec, Pet Auto Shutter) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | - |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail cost | $400 | $380 |