Olympus TG-860 vs Panasonic S5

The following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus TG-860 versus Panasonic S5, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the TG-860 (16MP) and S5 (24MP) and the TG-860 (1/2.3") and S5 (Full frame) come with totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The TG-860 was announced 6 years earlier than the S5 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the TG-860 matches up vs the S5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus TG-860 Gallery and Panasonic S5 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-860 has got physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 has dimensions of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-860 versus Panasonic S5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the TG-860 compared to the S5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-860 and S5 is 91 and 60 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to envision the difference in sensor dimensions purely by researching specs. The image below will give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-860 and S5.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The TG-860 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic S5 will result in more detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images far more aggressively. The more aged TG-860 will be behind in sensor technology.