Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus TG-850 iHS

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus PEN-F versus Olympus TG-850 iHS, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof and both of them are sold by Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was manufactured 2 years later than the TG-850 iHS and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the PEN-F matches up against the TG-850 iHS in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN-F and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS. The entire galleries are available at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus PEN-F offers physical measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") having a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus TG-850 iHS has sizing of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs).

Compare the Olympus PEN-F versus Olympus TG-850 iHS in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the PEN-F compared to the TG-850 iHS.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and TG-850 iHS is 84 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to see the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the PEN-F and TG-850 iHS.

As you can see, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The PEN-F because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will render more detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent PEN-F is going to have an edge in sensor tech.