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Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90

Portability
91
Imaging
41
Features
42
Overall
41
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 front
 
Samsung ST90 front
Portability
99
Imaging
37
Features
19
Overall
29

Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 Key Specs

Olympus TG-860
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
  • 224g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
  • Introduced February 2015
  • Newer Model is Olympus TG-870
Samsung ST90
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 0 - 0
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • ()mm (F) lens
  • n/ag - 92 x 53 x 17mm
  • Announced January 2011
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Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 Overview

In this article, we will be looking at the Olympus TG-860 and Samsung ST90, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Samsung. The resolution of the TG-860 (16MP) and the ST90 (14MP) is relatively close and they come with the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The TG-860 was introduced 4 years later than the ST90 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (Ultracompact).

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the TG-860 grades vs the ST90 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-860 over the Samsung ST90

 TG-860 ST90 
AnnouncedFebruary 2015January 2011More recent by 50 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen

Reasons to pick Samsung ST90 over the Olympus TG-860

 ST90 TG-860 

Common features in the Olympus TG-860 and Samsung ST90

 TG-860 ST90 
Manually focus No manual focusing
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen size
Screen resolution460k460kExact same screen resolution
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch screen Lacking Touch screen

Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 Physical Comparison

For those who are going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-860 has external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Samsung ST90 has sizing of 92mm x 53mm x 17mm (3.6" x 2.1" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus TG-860 and Samsung ST90 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is the front view size comparison of the TG-860 versus the ST90.

Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-860 and ST90 is 91 and 99 respectively.

Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor measurements merely by looking through technical specs. The visual below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-860 and ST90.

As you can tell, each of these cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same MP. You should count on the Olympus TG-860 to result in more detail using its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more modern TG-860 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.

Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus TG-860
Portrait photography with Samsung ST90
36
decent megapixels (16MP)
includes face detect focus
manual focus not available
no manual control
can't use external flash
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
28
good MP (14 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
manual exposure not possible
no external flash support
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus TG-860
Street photography with Samsung ST90
69
screen tilts
built in image stabilization (Optical)
environment sealing
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
49
screen does not articulate
lack of image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
low max ISO (0)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-860 Sports photography details
Samsung ST90 Sports photography details
49
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16MP)
includes tracking focus
environment sealing
no shutter priority mode
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
26
good MP (14MP)
fixed focal length (()mm)
no shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-860 Travel photography info
Samsung ST90 Travel photography info
71
environment sealing
decent megapixels (16MP)
has built in flash
really wide (21mm)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
71
good MP (14MP)
has built in flash
great max aperture (f)
missing Timelapse recording
does not offer selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus TG-860
Landscape photography with Samsung ST90
48
really wide (21mm)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16MP)
environment sealing
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
37
great max aperture (f)
screen size is good (3 inches)
good MP (14 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
fixed focal length (()mm)
manual exposure not possible
lack of image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
low max ISO (0)
does not have RAW files
missing Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-860 as a Vlogging camera
Samsung ST90 as a Vlogging camera
33
really wide (21mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
no microphone socket
27
great max aperture (f)
does not offer selfie friendly display
lack of image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
missing microphone support
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Olympus TG-860 vs Samsung ST90 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-860 and Samsung ST90
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860Samsung ST90
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Samsung
Model type Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 Samsung ST90
Category Waterproof Ultracompact
Introduced 2015-02-06 2011-01-19
Physical type Ultracompact Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VII -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.16 x 4.62mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.5mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 -
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 6400 -
Min native ISO 125 -
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 21-105mm (5.0x) ()
Maximum aperture f/3.5-5.7 -
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Display type Tilting Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 460k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 4s 8s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/2000s
Continuous shutter rate 7.0fps -
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 4.00 m (at ISO 1600) -
Flash options Auto, redeye reduction, fill flash, off, LED illuminator -
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (60p) 1280 x 720
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format H.264 -
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) none
GPS Yes None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 224 gr (0.49 lb) -
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") 92 x 53 x 17mm (3.6" x 2.1" x 0.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 300 photos -
Battery style Battery Pack -
Battery ID Li-50B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, custom) -
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal -
Card slots 1 1
Retail pricing $279 $150