Olympus TG-860 vs Sony HX5

Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus TG-860 and Sony HX5, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the TG-860 (16MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the TG-860 (1/2.3") and HX5 (1/2.4") have different sensor sizes.

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The TG-860 was unveiled 4 years after the HX5 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short summary of how the TG-860 scores vs the HX5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The full galleries are provided at Olympus TG-860 Gallery & Sony HX5 Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-860 enjoys exterior dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Sony HX5 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-860 and Sony HX5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the TG-860 and the HX5.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-860 and HX5 is 91 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by looking through specs. The pic below will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-860 and HX5.

All in all, the 2 cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The TG-860 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh easier and the Olympus TG-860 will provide you with more detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics more aggressively. The more recent TG-860 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.