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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-7 front
Portability
84
Imaging
64
Features
71
Overall
66

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 Key Specs

Olympus TG-850 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
  • 218g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
  • Introduced January 2014
Sony NEX-7
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 400g - 120 x 67 x 43mm
  • Launched December 2011
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 Overview

In this write-up, we are matching up the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony NEX-7, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

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The TG-850 iHS was introduced 2 years later than the NEX-7 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the TG-850 iHS scores versus the NEX-7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Sony NEX-7

 TG-850 iHS NEX-7 
LaunchedJanuary 2014December 2011More recent by 26 months

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-7 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS

 NEX-7 TG-850 iHS 
Manually focus Very exact focus
Display resolution921k460kClearer display (+461k dot)

Common features in the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony NEX-7

 TG-850 iHS NEX-7 
Display typeTiltingTiltingTilting display
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display sizing
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch display Lacking Touch display

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-850 iHS features exterior measurements 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 Sony NEX-7 has proportions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

See the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony NEX-7 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the TG-850 iHS versus the NEX-7.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-850 iHS and NEX-7 is 91 and 84 respectively.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 Sensor Comparison

Typically, its hard to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements only by looking at technical specs. The graphic below might offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-850 iHS and NEX-7.

As you have seen, both cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The TG-850 iHS having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-7 will give greater detail using its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The younger TG-850 iHS should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Portrait photography advice
Sony NEX-7 Portrait photography advice
35
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
offers face detect focusing
manual focus not available
lack of manual exposure
external flash not possible
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
78
manual focus
decent sensor resolution (24 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
features face detect focusing
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Street photography info
Sony NEX-7 Street photography info
69
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
environment sealing
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
76
tilting screen
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Sports photography advice
Sony NEX-7 Sports photography advice
51
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
offers tracking focus
environment sealing
great battery (330 per charge)
no shutter priority mode
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
62
decent sensor resolution (24MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
better than average battery life (430 shots)
no image stabilization
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Travel photography highlights
Sony NEX-7 Travel photography highlights
72
great battery (330 CIPA)
environment sealing
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
flash built-in
rather wide (21mm)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
70
better than average battery life (430 per charge)
decent sensor resolution (24MP)
built-in flash
lack of Timelapse mode
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-7 as a Landscape photography camera
50
rather wide (21mm)
screen is a decent size (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
environment sealing
great battery (330 per charge)
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
lack of manual exposure
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
72
manual focus
change lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
decent sensor resolution (24 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
better than average battery life (430 CIPA)
no image stabilization
lack of Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Vlogging details
Sony NEX-7 Vlogging details
33
rather wide (21mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detect focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
doesn't have microphone jack
35
features face detect focusing
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
includes microphone support
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony NEX-7 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony NEX-7
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHSSony Alpha NEX-7
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS Sony Alpha NEX-7
Category Waterproof Advanced Mirrorless
Introduced 2014-01-29 2011-12-13
Physical type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VII Bionz
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 24 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4616 x 3464 6000 x 4000
Max native ISO 6400 16000
Lowest native ISO 125 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points - 25
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 21-105mm (5.0x) -
Max aperture f/3.5-5.7 -
Total lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 460k dots 921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 1/2s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate 7.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - 6.00 m
Flash modes - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
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
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 218 grams (0.48 lbs) 400 grams (0.88 lbs)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") 120 x 67 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 81
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 24.1
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.4
DXO Low light rating not tested 1016
Other
Battery life 330 pictures 430 pictures
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID LI-50B NPFW50
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, 10sec (3 or 5 images))
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Launch cost $250 $699