Olympus E-PL6 vs. Olympus TG-870: A Thorough Camera Comparison for the Modern Photographer

When faced with choosing between the Olympus E-PL6 and Olympus TG-870, many photographers find themselves at a crossroads between two very different camera types: an entry-level mirrorless system versus a rugged ultracompact. Both hail from Olympus’s stable and bear the hallmarks of their lineage, but their design philosophies, intended uses, and technical prowess vary in ways that influence real-world performance dramatically.

Having extensively tested thousands of cameras over the years, I’m keen to take you on a detailed comparison based on hands-on experience, lab metrics, and practical applicability. Whether you’re a budding enthusiast or a seasoned pro looking for a reliable secondary camera, this analysis will clarify which model fits your photography style and requirements.

At a Glance: Understanding the Physical Designs and Handling

The Olympus PEN E-PL6 adopts the classic rangefinder-style mirrorless body - a design that balances compactness with sufficient controls for enthusiast use. Its micro four thirds mount means lens swapping flexibility, critical for photographers wanting to explore varied focal lengths and artistic expressions.

In contrast, the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 is engineered for the ultracompact and rugged niche. This camera is built to survive harsh environments: waterproof, shockproof, crushproof, and freezeproof - qualities perfect for adventure seekers and travel photographers who need durable gear that performs in less-than-ideal conditions without fuss.

Here’s a visual size and ergonomics comparison so you can see how these cameras stack up physically:

The E-PL6 feels a bit chunkier and more substantial in hand (weighing 325g vs. TG-870’s 221g), with a deeper grip and a more prominent array of buttons and dials. Meanwhile, the TG-870, with its slim and streamlined ultracompact silhouette, slips easily into a jacket pocket or small bag but sacrifices manual controls for ease of use and toughness.

Control Layout and Usability: Hands-On Interface Examination

Physical ergonomics only tell part of the story. The shooting experience hinges heavily on controls and user interface.

Here’s a top-down look at the control layouts:

The PEN E-PL6 offers dedicated dials for shutter speed and aperture, along with quick access buttons for ISO, exposure compensation, and a directional pad for navigation - great for photographers who appreciate direct control for creative exposure decisions. Its tilting touchscreen facilitates intuitive focusing and menu navigation, a welcome feature at this level.

Conversely, the TG-870 trims the manual dials and buttons for a minimalist tactile experience. Its screen, though tilting and sharp (921k dots), lacks touchscreen capabilities. The focus here is on straightforward shooting with automatic modes, assisted by built-in illumination flash and a handful of control buttons.

For the photographer who values granular exposure control, the E-PL6’s user interface is clearly superior and more satisfying to operate across disciplines.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of Photography

At the core of any camera’s imaging prowess is the sensor, and here the difference is stark.

The Olympus E-PL6 features a 16MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor measuring 17.3 x 13 mm, yielding a sensor area of approximately 225 mm². The micro four thirds standard provides a nice balance between image quality, depth of field control, and system compactness.

Conversely, the TG-870 incorporates a 16MP 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor, physically much smaller at around 28 mm².

The sensor size discrepancy is visually apparent:

From years of experience, larger sensors such as the Four Thirds type excel in producing cleaner images with less noise, wider dynamic range, and much better low-light capability compared to tiny 1/2.3” sensors - essentially the size you'll find in most compact cameras, and responsible for the TG-870’s modest image fidelity in challenging light.

The E-PL6’s sensor enables files with richer tonal gradation, better color depth, and more forgiving ISO performance, which translates to portraits with smoother skin tones, landscapes with greater detail, and night shots with lower grain.

TG-870, while respectable in bright light conditions, shows its limitations when pushed above ISO 800, with increasing noise and limited shadow recovery. However, its lens’s and sensor’s close integration maintain sharpness and contrast impressively within its modest scope.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking in Real Use

Auto-focus (AF) systems are crucial for nailing shots across genres, especially in fast-moving scenarios like wildlife or sports.

The E-PL6 uses a contrast-detection AF system with 35 AF points spread across the frame. This system supports face detection, AF tracking, multi-area focus, and touch autofocus - feature sets that deliver strong flexibility. While it doesn’t have phase-detection, its TruePic VI processor helps it maintain a reasonable continuous AF performance (approx. 8fps burst speed). Post-testing, I found it responsive in controlled environments but occasionally struggles to track erratically moving subjects when lighting dims.

The TG-870 also relies on contrast detection but offers fewer focus points (exact count unspecified) and includes face and center-weighted AF modes. Its continuous shooting rates slightly trail at 7fps. Given its smaller sensor and compact lens, autofocus here is optimized more for general point-and-shoot rather than high-speed tracking. It handles close to medium distances well, ideal for casual everyday or travel use, but will lag behind from a performance photography standpoint.

With that in mind: if you prioritize fast, precise AF tracking - say, for wildlife or sports photography - the PEN E-PL6 edges ahead by a meaningful margin.

Build Quality, Weather Sealing, and Field Durability

The environments we shoot in can be unpredictable. Here, the TG-870’s ruggedness shines brightest.

It boasts comprehensive weather sealing, making it waterproof up to 15 meters, shockproof from drops up to 2.1 meters, crushproof under 100 kgf, and freezeproof down to -10°C.

This level of durability is rare in ultracompacts, making the TG-870 a trustworthy companion for adventure, underwater, or extreme outdoor photography. If you often trek, kayak, or shoot in rain-soaked or dusty environments, it’s reassuring gear.

By contrast, the E-PL6 lacks any weather sealing and is vulnerable to moisture and dust ingress. Its body is built of metal and plastic composite, which feels sturdy enough for daily urban use and travel (with care), but not for hardcore conditions.

Screen and Viewfinder Qualities: Framing and Composing Your Shots

Both come with 3-inch tilting displays, but that’s where the similarities end.

The TG-870’s screen resolution is a bright 921k dots, significantly sharper than the E-PL6’s 460k-dot screen. However, the E-PL6’s panel has touchscreen capabilities for tapping to focus and quicker menu navigation.

Neither sports a built-in viewfinder, although the E-PL6 can use an accessory electronic viewfinder, which improves eye-level shooting significantly.

Here’s the screen comparison:

The TG-870’s high-res screen is ideal for outdoor use, particularly underwater or in bright sunlight, where clarity is paramount. The E-PL6’s touchscreen improves usability for live view focusing and menu customization.

Lens Ecosystem and Focal Range Versatility

Lens flexibility is a decisive factor.

The PEN E-PL6 uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, granting access to over 100 native lenses - from ultra-wide primes to long telephotos and specialized lenses for macro or portraiture. This system also benefits from a mature third-party ecosystem, enabling photographers to adapt lenses from other mounts with minimal loss of quality.

Meanwhile, the TG-870 has a fixed 21-105mm equivalent zoom lens (F3.5–5.7). This five-times zoom covers a useful travel photography range but can’t be changed, limiting creative control.

The E-PL6 thus wins hands down in versatility for photographers who want to grow their gear or adapt to different styles: portrait, macro, wildlife, or landscapes.

Battery Life and Storage: Practical Considerations

The PEN E-PL6 has a rated battery life of approximately 360 shots per charge, modest but rather typical among mirrorless cameras of its generation.

The TG-870’s lithium-ion battery supports roughly 300 shots, slightly less but reasonable given its smaller sensor and compact size.

Both use SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, with a single storage slot each. TG-870 also features internal storage as a backup (handy for emergency snaps).

In real-world use, the mirrorless system tends to consume more power due to higher processing demands and live view use, so carrying spares is essential for extended shoots.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

The TG-870 comes with built-in GPS and wireless connectivity, enabling geotagging and in-camera sharing - features that appeal to travelers and social shooters.

The E-PL6 supports Eye-Fi card connectivity for wireless transfer but lacks Bluetooth or NFC, which some may find inconvenient today.

Both have HDMI output and USB 2.0 ports for wired data transfer.

Performance Across Photography Genres

How do these cameras fare across different photography styles?

Let’s consult the overall cameras gallery and genre-specific ratings for a quantitative perspective:

Olympus E PL6 front Olympus E PL6 screen back Olympus TG 870 front Olympus TG 870 screen back

Portrait Photography

The E-PL6’s larger sensor provides better control over depth of field, delivering creamy bokeh and nuanced skin tones. Its face detection autofocus is commendable for this class. Meanwhile, the TG-870’s fixed zoom struggles to produce strong background separation and offers less subtle color rendition.

Landscape Photography

With superior dynamic range and resolution management, the PEN E-PL6 captures more detail and tonal gradation in broad scenes. The TG-870 is serviceable in daylight but limited in highlight recovery and shadow detail.

Wildlife Photography

The E-PL6’s better AF tracking and lens flexibility lend it an advantage for distant subjects. The TG-870’s zoom, limited burst rate, and AF reduce its viability here.

Sports Photography

Neither camera is truly sports-centric, but the E-PL6’s faster burst mode and better AF tracking make it comparatively better. The TG-870 lags, due to slower shutter speeds and AF.

Street Photography

TG-870’s pocketable size and ruggedness make it a discreet street shooter. The E-PL6, being larger and more conspicuous, is better suited to intentional portraiture and artistic street shots.

Macro Photography

With interchangeable lenses, the E-PL6 can employ specialized macro optics for high magnification and focus precision, while the TG-870’s close focus at 1cm is impressive for a compact and good for casual macro but not professional-level macro.

Night/Astro Photography

The E-PL6’s noise performance at higher ISOs and manual exposure modes enable nightscape and star shooting. The TG-870’s boosted ISO is capped and noisy, so it’s less suited here.

Video Capabilities

TG-870 records 1080p at 60fps with H.264 encoding, producing smooth video for casual shooting, plus an LED illuminator for low-light recording.

E-PL6 offers 1080p at 30fps in MPEG-4 and Motion JPEG. While not as smooth or modern, it supports manual exposure during video, beneficial for filmmakers.

Neither comes with mic inputs or headphone jacks, limiting serious video work.

Travel Photography

Weight and ruggedness favor TG-870 for active travel. E-PL6’s better image quality and lens versatility suit slow travel or planned shoots.

Professional Work

The E-PL6’s raw support, manual controls, and lens options make it useful as a professional backup or travel camera. TG-870’s JPEG-only output and limited controls restrict professional use.

Price-to-Performance: Value Assessment

Currently priced around $300 each, the two cameras offer compelling value in different domains.

The Olympus PEN E-PL6 is exceptional for photographers who want to learn manual controls, experiment with lenses, and achieve quality images across genres without breaking the bank.

The TG-870 is arguably one of the best rugged ultracompacts under $300, combining durability and convenience for outdoor hobbies and travel where your gear might take a beating.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Having put both cameras through their paces, here’s how I’d sum up:

• Choose the Olympus PEN E-PL6 if:

  • You want a versatile entry-level mirrorless with lens flexibility.
  • Image quality, creative control, and manual settings matter.
  • You shoot portraits, landscapes, nightscapes, or want to explore professional workflows.
  • Portability is important, but you don’t need extreme ruggedness.

• Choose the Olympus TG-870 if:

  • Adventure and durability top your priorities.
  • You need an ultracompact camera immune to water, drops, and extreme conditions.
  • You prefer point-and-shoot simplicity with enough zoom range for casual photography.
  • Video with smooth 60p capture is appealing for action-centric recording.

Both cameras stand as excellent choices in their respective niches - one a capable mirrorless tool, the other a tough all-around tiny warrior.

Summary of Key Specs and Scores

To wrap up, here’s a quick snapshot summarizing their core specs and overall scores for easy reference:

Genre-Focused Strength Overview

This visual outline shows their relative strengths and weaknesses for the major photography types:

Closing Note

Choosing any camera is ultimately about matching it to your photographic vision and lifestyle. These two Olympus models serve two complementary but very different segments of that vast photographic ecosystem. By grounding your decision in realistic expectations and hands-on experience, you will find a companion that inspires and performs to your needs.

Happy shooting!