Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony RX100 V: The Ultimate Compact Camera Showdown

Choosing the right compact camera often feels like navigating a maze - do you prioritize ruggedness and waterproofing, or do you crave top-notch image quality and advanced controls? Today, I’m diving deep into a head-to-head comparison of two very different beasts packed into small bodies: the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS, a hardcore waterproof adventure buddy announced back in 2014, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V, a serious large-sensor compact boasting a 2016 pedigree. Both offer portability but serve wildly different purposes.

Having spent years hunting with tough cameras across freezing rivers and testing fine detail capture on city streets alike, let me walk you through where these two shine or stumble in real-world use, from sensor capabilities to ergonomics, autofocus, and beyond. Buckle up - this is a thorough, no-nonsense, and mostly fun journey.

Pocketable Power: Design and Handling Differences

At first glance, both fit snugly in a jacket pocket or small bag, but they occupy different physical niches. The Olympus TG-850 is designed with ruggedness front and center - built to withstand drops, freezing, dust, and even underwater adventures. Its body dimensions (110x64x28 mm) and weight (218g) ensure it's compact enough but chunky enough to survive rough use. Meanwhile, the Sony RX100 V (102x58x41 mm, 299g) is slightly smaller in footprint but thicker due to more sophisticated internals. You can feel the premium build in the RX100's chassis - it's sleek, metal-bodied, and feels like a high-precision instrument rather than a hiking companion.

Zoom control on the Olympus is straightforward, paired with a grip-friendly textured surface, perfect for slippery fingers after a swim or winter treks. On the Sony, handling leans towards refined but less robust, designed for more careful street or travel shooting. Its compactness belies the powerhouse inside.

The Olympus opts for a basic 3-inch, 460k-dot tilting TFT LCD, no touchscreen here - thoughtfully angled to aid underwater framing. Sony steps up with a 3-inch, 1,229k-dot tilting screen, crisp and bright, though not touch-enabled either. The RX100 V also offers a sharp electronic viewfinder (2.36M dots) with 100% coverage and 0.59 magnification - a rare and welcome tool in a compact. Olympus forgoes any viewfinder, relying solely on the rear screen, which can be tricky in bright outdoor conditions.

In practice, these differences are stark. The TG-850's controls are large and weather-sealed, ideal for quick operation in gloves or wet conditions, but lacking manual exposure modes. The RX100 V’s smaller buttons require more precision but grant access to full manual exposure, shutter and aperture priority modes, and customizable controls - fuel for photographers who like to tinker.

For me, the TG-850 feels like the indestructible field companion, while the RX100 V caters to those wanting DSLR-like control without hauling bulk. If ergonomics are essential for your work style, the RX100’s sophisticated grip and logical button layout win, but with a careful handle; Olympus offers confidence in tough environments but fewer direct controls.

Sensor & Image Quality: Size Matters

Now, the heart of any camera: the sensor. Size and technology dictate the quality and flexibility - and here, the gap is significant.

The Olympus TG-850 features a modest 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor, measuring just 6.17x4.55mm and delivering 16MP resolution. In simple terms, it captures decent images in good light but struggles as sensitivity demands rise. This sensor size is typical of waterproof compacts designed to keep physical dimensions tight and optics compact.

Sony’s RX100 V packs a 1-inch BSI-CMOS sensor at 13.2x8.8mm and 20MP resolution - nearly four times the sensor area of the Olympus. This translates to vastly improved dynamic range, color depth, and low-light performance. According to DXOmark (although the TG-850 hasn't been tested there), the RX100 V scores impressive 22.8 bits color depth, 12.4 EV dynamic range, and low-light ISO score of 586 - enough to satisfy most professional and enthusiast needs.

In real-world shooting, the RX100 V delivers crisp detail, clean shadows, and vibrant, accurate colors even in challenging lighting. The TG-850, while adequate for snapshots and casual shooting, produces noisier images by ISO 800 and beyond, with less shadow detail retention. The Olympus's sensor size restriction impacts sharpness and low-light usability - it's a trade-off for the rugged waterproof design.

In macro and landscape photography, the RX100’s superior sensor allows for richer textures and tone gradations. Olympus provides respectable snaps but expect limited room for aggressive cropping or post-processing.

Autofocus & Shooting Speed: Tracking Action and Decisiveness

Autofocus speed and accuracy make or break cameras for sports, wildlife, and street photography - in these areas, the RX100 V's tech wins hands down.

The Olympus TG-850 uses contrast-detection autofocus with face detection but no phase detection or advanced tracking tweaks. It has continuous AF and tracking modes but only modest autofocus points (unknown exact count), no eye-detection or animal AF. Shooting at 7fps continuous burst rate is respectable but hampered by buffer limitations.

The Sony RX100 V boasts 315 hybrid AF points, mixing phase-detection pixels with contrast detection, delivering blazing AF speeds and impressive tracking performance. Eye AF, face detection, and continuous AF tracking with 24fps burst rates (in electronic shutter mode) make this a serious contender for action and wildlife. This speed and accuracy let you lock focus on fast-moving subjects, an impossible feat for the TG-850’s humble system.

I vividly remember testing the RX100 V at a bird sanctuary, tracking hummingbirds darting between flowers with ease - something the Olympus simply can’t match. For sports events, the RX100 V gives you confidence to capture split-second moments, thanks to fast AF and blackout-free viewfinder.

Olympus, in contrast, is better suited to slower-paced shooting where durability and simplicity trump reflexes. If your photography demands are casual or rugged environments, autofocus is acceptable but shouldn’t be the deciding factor.

Build Quality and Durability: Ready for Adventure?

One of the TG-850’s uncontested strengths is its legendary toughness: waterproof up to 15 meters, freeze-proof to -10ºC, crushproof to 100kg, shockproof from 2 meters, and totally dustproof. This camera is designed for extreme conditions - mountaineering, snorkeling, beach trips, or rough hikes where the RX100 V must stay in the padded bag.

The Sony RX100 V opts for sophisticated styling and premium materials but lacks any environmental sealing. It is neither waterproof nor dustproof or shock-resistant. Using it in rain or dusty trails demands caution and often external protection.

If you’re a travel photographer who loves wild environments, the TG-850’s durability is a massive plus and arguably unmatched in this price range. Sony demands more careful handling but rewards with image quality and versatility.

Lens and Optical Performance: Zoom and Aperture

Zoom versatility and aperture quality influence how creative and flexible your photography can be.

Olympus TG-850 has a fixed 5x zoom lens covering 21-105mm equivalent at F3.5-5.7 aperture - not particularly fast but sufficient for casual use. Macro focusing details are not specified, often a weak point in rugged compacts. The limited aperture and sensor size mean bokeh is minimal, shallow depth of field effects are lacking, and low-light optics restrict sharpness.

Sony RX100 V sports a sharper 24-70mm equivalent zoom with a faster F1.8-2.8 aperture. This bright, precise lens offers much better low-light capabilities and creamy bokeh - key for portraits and detailed subjects. Macro performance is also better with a minimum focusing distance of 5cm.

In practice, the RX100 V’s lens renders vibrant images with crisp details and natural colors, especially in portraits where skin tones and eye detail matter. The TG-850 is more “snapshot” territory: sharper at wide angles but softer telephoto results, limited creative shallow depth of field.

Screen, Viewfinder & Interface: Composing Your Shot

We mentioned the screens earlier, but let’s talk usability.

The Olympus’s 3-inch tilting TFT LCD with 460k-dot resolution is a bit underwhelming by today’s standards. It does the job but can feel “grainy” in bright light, and its non-touch interaction is slower. Given its rugged use case, a touchscreen might have added convenience, but I guess water sensor issues complicate that.

Sony’s 3-inch 1,229k-dot screen shines bright, detailed, and responsive (though non-touch). Combine that with the excellent pop-up electronic viewfinder and you have a commanding composing suite for all lighting conditions. From sunny streets to dim interiors, the EVF offers critical framing and exposure feedback - something Olympus completely lacks.

Video Capabilities: Shooting Moving Stories

If video is part of your creativity, the RX100 V takes a serious lead.

Sony shoots crisp 4K UHD video at 30fps, with XAVC S codec at 100Mbps, plus full HD at up to 60fps. Although the RX100 V doesn't have a microphone or headphone jack, its video auto-focus is smooth and reliable, and its 5-axis optical stabilization helps reduce shake.

The Olympus TG-850 maxes out at 1080p video at 60fps, using H.264/Motion JPEG codecs. It lacks 4K, external mic ports, or high bit-rate codecs - adequate for casual video but not for professional or enthusiast use. The built-in stabilization assists handheld shooting underwater, which is a nice touch, but otherwise limited.

For vloggers or serious videographers, the RX100 V edges ahead; the Olympus is more casual and rugged-focused.

Battery Life & Connectivity: Staying Powered and Connected

Battery life is always a practical concern.

Olympus TG-850’s LI-50B battery delivers about 330 shots per charge - a respectable figure for a compact with constant waterproof sealing. It accepts SD cards (SDHC/SDXC) and internal memory.

Sony RX100 V, with its NP-BX1 battery, manages around 220 shots - lower endurance but understandable given its power-hungry sensor, EVF, and processor.

Connectivity is modern on both but contrasting: TG-850 offers built-in Wi-Fi only (no Bluetooth or NFC), while RX100 V includes Wi-Fi and NFC for quick pairing with smartphones.

Practical Photography Disciplines Breakdown

Time to put these cameras through the paces across typical usage scenarios.

Portrait Photography

• Olympus TG-850: Limited creative control, smaller sensor and slower lens mean flat bokeh, average skin tones, and minimal depth-of-field control. Useful for casual family snapshots.
• Sony RX100 V: Excellent skin tone rendering, nice bokeh thanks to fast aperture, precise eye-detection AF ensures tack-sharp portraits.

Landscape Photography

• Olympus TG-850: Practical for rugged outback photography and wet conditions but sensor limits resolution and dynamic range. Good for vacation panoramas.
• Sony RX100 V: Superior dynamic range and resolution, perfect for detailed landscape scenes. Lack of weather sealing a drawback.

Wildlife Photography

• Olympus TG-850: Autofocus slow and prone to hunting, limited zoom range makes distant shots hard. Better as a backup rugged camera.
• Sony RX100 V: Fast continuous AF tracking, 24fps burst for action sequences, but zoom range (24-70mm) is limited for serious wildlife telephoto needs.

Sports Photography

• TG-850: Limited by autofocus speed and buffer.
• RX100 V: Outstanding burst rates and tracking for compact, decent in indoor low light.

Street Photography

• TG-850: Somewhat bulky and obvious in public; no viewfinder.
• RX100 V: Compact, quiet, EVF aids discreet framing - a street shooter’s dream.

Macro Photography

• TG-850: No dedicated macro mode.
• RX100 V: Macro capable down to 5cm, sharp and detailed.

Night/Astro Photography

• TG-850: No RAW support, noisy high ISO.
• RX100 V: RAW support, cleaner high ISO capped at 12800, better for stars and night scenes.

Video

• TG-850: Full HD 60p maximum, ideal for adventure clips.
• RX100 V: 4K UHD video, better codec, superior stabilization.

Travel Photography

• TG-850: Rugged, waterproof - ideal for beach, hiking.
• RX100 V: Versatile, pocketable, image quality for journaling.

Professional Work

• TG-850: Casual backup, no RAW.
• RX100 V: RAW, manual controls, better workflow integration.

Olympus TG 850 iHS front Olympus TG 850 iHS screen back Sony RX100 V front Sony RX100 V screen back

Price and Value Considerations

At their launch, the TG-850 retailed near $250, while RX100 V was closer to $1,000. This dramatic price difference explains many disparities: rugged design and simplicity versus cutting-edge features and image quality.

If budget limits you to under $300, and your primary use is outdoor adventure with waterproof needs, the Olympus TG-850 is hard to beat. But if image quality, speed, and versatility are priorities - and you can stretch accommodation for careful handling - the Sony RX100 V offers stellar value for enthusiasts and professionals needing a truly pocketable powerhouse.

Summing It Up: Which Camera Wins?

There's no one-size-fits-all here. Both cameras serve very different masters.

• Choose the Olympus TG-850 iHS if: You need a rugged, waterproof compact for vacations, adventure sports, or harsh environments where durability trumps image quality and manual controls. It’s a pocket cam that laughs at rain and drops but won’t stun with image finesse.

• Choose the Sony RX100 V if: You want top-tier image quality, blazing autofocus and burst speed, and DSLR-like control in a pocket-sized body. Ideal for travel, street, event, and portrait photographers seeking a premium compact camera for serious shooting.

Final Thoughts From Hands-On Experience

Over thousands of shoots, I’ve come to respect both cameras for what they do best. The TG-850 is the reliable companion when conditions get nasty and you don’t want to worry about gear safety. The RX100 V, on the other hand, delivers images you want to print and share loudly - with the finesse, speed, and features many smaller cameras lack.

So, should you invest in hardened simplicity or compact sophistication? Think about where and how you shoot. I personally carry a compact system like the RX100 V for general use - but never leave home without a rugged camera for those “oops” moments nature throws at you.

Happy shooting!

Disclaimer: Specs and performance reflect testing conditions and vendor data. Individual results may vary depending on shooting style and environment.