Olympus TG-860 vs Panasonic FZ35

The following is a extensive review of the Olympus TG-860 and Panasonic FZ35, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the TG-860 (16MP) and FZ35 (12MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The TG-860 was released 4 years after the FZ35 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic FZ35 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the TG-860 matches up vs the FZ35 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35. The complete galleries are available at Olympus TG-860 Gallery and Panasonic FZ35 Gallery.

When you are aiming to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-860 comes with 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) whilst the Panasonic FZ35 has proportions of 118mm x 76mm x 89mm (4.6" x 3.0" x 3.5") along with a weight of 397 grams (0.88 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-860 and Panasonic FZ35 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the TG-860 compared to the FZ35.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-860 and FZ35 is 91 and 72 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing specifications. The picture below will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-860 and FZ35.

To sum up, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different resolution. You should expect the Olympus TG-860 to offer more detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The newer TG-860 should have an advantage in sensor tech.