Olympus E-PL8 vs Olympus TG-830 iHS

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-PL8 and Olympus TG-830 iHS, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Waterproof and both are offered by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the TG-830 iHS (16MP) is pretty well matched but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and TG-830 iHS (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL8 was revealed 3 years later than the TG-830 iHS and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-830 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-PL8 matches up vs the TG-830 iHS with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Olympus TG-830 iHS. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Olympus TG-830 iHS Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 features outside dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Olympus TG-830 iHS has proportions of 109mm x 67mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") and a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL8 and Olympus TG-830 iHS in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL8 and the TG-830 iHS.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL8 and TG-830 iHS is 86 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizing only by checking technical specs. The graphic below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and TG-830 iHS.

As you can tell, both cameras posses the exact same megapixels albeit not the same sensor sizing. The E-PL8 comes with the bigger sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow DOF easier. The more recent E-PL8 is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.