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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS front
 
Pentax Optio VS20 front
Portability
90
Imaging
39
Features
35
Overall
37

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 Key Specs

Olympus TG-850 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
  • 218g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
  • Announced January 2014
Pentax VS20
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-560mm (F3.1-4.8) lens
  • 235g - 111 x 61 x 38mm
  • Introduced January 2012
Photography Glossary

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 Overview

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus TG-850 iHS versus Pentax VS20, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the VS20 (16MP) is very close and they come with the exact same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The TG-850 iHS was manufactured 2 years after the VS20 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the TG-850 iHS grades versus the VS20 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Pentax VS20

 TG-850 iHS VS20 
IntroducedJanuary 2014January 2012More modern by 25 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display

Reasons to pick Pentax VS20 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS

 VS20 TG-850 iHS 
Manually focus More precise focusing

Common features in the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Pentax VS20

 TG-850 iHS VS20 
Display dimension3"3"Identical display measurement
Display resolution460k460kEqual display resolution
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither has Touch friendly display

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus TG-850 iHS has outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Pentax VS20 has specifications of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Examine the Olympus TG-850 iHS versus Pentax VS20 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the TG-850 iHS against the VS20.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-850 iHS and VS20 is 91 and 90 respectively.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it is very hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes just by looking through specs. The image below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-850 iHS and VS20.

All in all, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements and the identical resolution therefore you should expect comparable quality of pictures however you really should factor the release date of the cameras into account. The more modern TG-850 iHS provides an edge in sensor innovation.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Portrait photography with Pentax VS20
35
good resolution (16MP)
supports face detect focus
lack of manual focus
manual exposure not available
can't use external flash
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
36
you can focus manually
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
manual mode not possible
can't use external flash
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Street photography info
Pentax VS20 Street photography info
69
screen tilts up and down
built in image stabilization (Optical)
weather proof
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than average (235 grams)
screen is fixed
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Sports photography with Pentax VS20
51
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
supports tracking focus
weather proof
great battery pack (330 per charge)
no shutter priority
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
44
excellent zoom range (28-560mm 20.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good megapixels (16MP)
offers tracking autofocus
max frames per second low (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Travel photography factors
Pentax VS20 Travel photography factors
72
great battery pack (330 shots)
weather proof
good resolution (16MP)
built-in flash
relatively wide (21mm)
does not have selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
68
lighter than average (235 grams)
good megapixels (16MP)
built-in flash
fairly wide (28mm)
great reach (560mm)
does not have Time Lapse recording
display is not selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Landscape photography info
Pentax VS20 Landscape photography info
50
relatively wide (21mm)
good sized screen (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (16MP)
weather proof
great battery pack (330 per charge)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
manual exposure not available
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
47
you can focus manually
fairly wide (28mm)
nice screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good megapixels (16MP)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
manual mode not possible
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
does not have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Vlogging with Pentax VS20
33
relatively wide (21mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detect focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
does not have selfie friendly display
no microphone jack
30
fairly wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than average (235g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.1)
display is not selfie friendly
low res video (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external mic port
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax VS20 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-850 iHS and Pentax VS20
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHSPentax Optio VS20
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS Pentax Optio VS20
Category Waterproof Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced 2014-01-29 2012-01-25
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4616 x 3464 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Minimum native ISO 125 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points - 3
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 21-105mm (5.0x) 28-560mm (20.0x)
Maximal aperture f/3.5-5.7 f/3.1-4.8
Macro focusing range - 3cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.9
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3" 3"
Display resolution 460k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display technology TFT LCD TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 1/2 seconds 4 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/2500 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 7.0fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance - 2.80 m
Flash options - Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format H.264, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Yes Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 218 grams (0.48 lbs) 235 grams (0.52 lbs)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") 111 x 61 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 330 photographs -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID LI-50B D-LI122
Self timer Yes (2 sec, 12 sec, Custom Self-Timer (1-30 sec start timer, 1-10 pictures, 1-3 sec interval)) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Retail pricing $250 $106