Olympus TG-860 vs Panasonic G100

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus TG-860 versus Panasonic G100, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the TG-860 (16MP) and the G100 (20MP) is fairly close but the TG-860 (1/2.3") and G100 (Four Thirds) provide different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The TG-860 was unveiled 6 years before the G100 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic G100 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the TG-860 matches up versus the G100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 and Panasonic Lumix DC-G100. The full galleries are available at Olympus TG-860 Gallery and Panasonic G100 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus TG-860 enjoys outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") with a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Panasonic G100 has specifications of 116mm x 83mm x 54mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 2.1") along with a weight of 352 grams (0.78 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-860 versus Panasonic G100 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select during that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the TG-860 and the G100.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-860 and G100 is 91 and 81 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to picture the gap in sensor measurements merely by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-860 and G100.

Clearly, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-860 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic G100 will result in greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older TG-860 will be behind in sensor tech.