Olympus TG-860 vs Panasonic GH5

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus TG-860 versus Panasonic GH5, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the TG-860 (16MP) and the GH5 (20MP) is fairly comparable but the TG-860 (1/2.3") and GH5 (Four Thirds) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The TG-860 was released 23 months prior to the GH5 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic GH5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the TG-860 scores against the GH5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5. The complete galleries are available at Olympus TG-860 Gallery & Panasonic GH5 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-860 offers exterior measurements 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 GH5 has measurements of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") having a weight of 725 grams (1.60 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-860 versus Panasonic GH5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the TG-860 compared to the GH5.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-860 and GH5 is 91 and 59 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizing simply by checking out a spec sheet. The visual underneath will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-860 and GH5.

As you can see, both cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The TG-860 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic GH5 will provide more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The older TG-860 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.