Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A7R IV

Here, we will be evaluating the Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A7R IV, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and A7R IV (61MP) and the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and A7R IV (Full frame) provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The TG-850 iHS was introduced 6 years prior to the A7R IV and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A7R IV being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the TG-850 iHS grades versus the A7R IV for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS & Sony Alpha A7R IV. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery & Sony A7R IV Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-850 iHS comes with physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Sony A7R IV has dimensions of 129mm x 96mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 3.1") and a weight of 665 grams (1.47 lbs).

See the Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A7R IV in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the TG-850 iHS versus the A7R IV.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-850 iHS and A7R IV is 91 and 62 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements only by reading through a spec sheet. The visual here might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-850 iHS and A7R IV.

Clearly, both the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The TG-850 iHS with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A7R IV will resolve extra detail using its extra 45 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots way more aggressively. The older TG-850 iHS is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.