Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Panasonic GX9

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Panasonic GX9, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the GX9 (20MP) is pretty close but the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and GX9 (Four Thirds) have different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The TG-850 iHS was revealed 5 years earlier than the GX9 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GX9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the TG-850 iHS matches up against the GX9 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS and Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9. The full galleries are available at Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery and Panasonic GX9 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-850 iHS comes with external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") having a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Panasonic GX9 has dimensions of 124mm x 72mm x 47mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.9") with a weight of 407 grams (0.90 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Panasonic GX9 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the TG-850 iHS vs the GX9.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-850 iHS and GX9 is 91 and 82 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements simply by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-850 iHS and GX9.

Clearly, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-850 iHS having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic GX9 will render more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The older TG-850 iHS will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.