Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony a5100

The following is a detailed review of the Olympus TG-850 iHS versus Sony a5100, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the resolutions of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and a5100 (APS-C) use different sensor sizes.

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The TG-850 iHS was unveiled 6 months earlier than the a5100 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a simple view of how the TG-850 iHS scores versus the a5100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS & Sony Alpha a5100. The full galleries are available at Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera often, you need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-850 iHS provides exterior dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-850 iHS versus Sony a5100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the TG-850 iHS vs the a5100.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-850 iHS and a5100 is 91 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to picture the gap in sensor dimensions merely by viewing specifications. The picture below might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-850 iHS and a5100.

Plainly, each of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The TG-850 iHS having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony a5100 will result in extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively.