Olympus TG-860 vs Sony WX80: Tough Compact Showdown for Everyday Enthusiasts

When it comes to small-sensor compacts, a few models stand out in the low-to-mid price bracket - and two that often catch the eye (and sometimes the wallet) are the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX80. Each offers very different strengths, despite broadly overlapping specs and price points hovering around $275-$280.

I’ve spent countless hours testing cameras of all shapes and sizes, and these two have piqued my curiosity for their contradictory natures: the TG-860 is a rugged, waterproof, go-anywhere shooter designed to endure abuse; while the WX80 is a pocket-friendly, zoom-heavy compact camera that leans on versatility and image stabilization.

In this detailed comparison, I’ll guide you through what each camera brings to the table - from sensor and lens tech, autofocus quirks, real-world handling, and image output, to their ideal applications for portrait, travel, wildlife, and beyond. My goal? To help you come away not just with raw specs, but with a solid feel for which camera suits your style and needs best.

First Impressions: Size, Build, and Handling

Before diving under the hood, let's talk about the physical aspects. Size and feel in the hand can make or break your photo-taking enjoyment, especially if it's going to be your daily carry.

The Olympus TG-860 positions itself as a rugged ultracompact waterproof camera, with robust environmental sealing that promises dust, shock, crush, freeze, and water resistance. Its body measures 110 x 64 x 28 mm and tips the scales at 224 grams - noticeably chunkier and heavier due to the armor and robust construction.

Conversely, Sony’s WX80 is a more delicate, compact "small sensor compact" measuring 92 x 52 x 22 mm and weighing just 124 grams. It's significantly slimmer and lighter, making it extremely pocketable - but of course, lacking the TG-860’s protective gear.

Just from holding both (and yes, I always perform a hands-on grip test during my reviews), the TG-860 feels purposefully rugged. The grip is textured and confident, with control buttons spaced to prevent accidental presses during energetic use - ideal for outdoor adventures and challenging environments. The WX80 feels more like a typical compact aimed at casual users, smooth-bodied and minimalistic in controls.

Additionally, looking at the top control layout, the TG-860 features a dedicated mode dial, shutter button with zoom toggle, and a few function buttons that are tactile and positioned with outdoor usability in mind. Sony’s WX80 has a simpler top plate with minimal buttons and a zoom rocker that’s perfectly suitable for everyday casual shooting.

Practical takeaway: If you’re into hiking, beaching, or extreme weather shooting, the Olympus’s heft and protection justify its size and weight. For wallet-friendly travel or street snaps with minimal bulk, the Sony WX80 is much more pocket-friendly.

Looking Under the Hood: Sensor and Image Quality

Both cameras share the same sensor size - a 1/2.3-inch sensor (technically 6.17 x 4.55 mm, or about 28.07 mm²) - the standard in this category. This sensor size inherently limits image quality compared to larger APS-C or full-frame sensors, but still, the devil is in the details of sensor technology, processing, and lens optics.

In resolution, both feature a 16-megapixel capability, delivering images up to 4608 x 3456 pixels. That’s respectable for prints up to 8 x 10 inches or decent web uploads.

However, Olympus employs a TruePic VII processor combined with a CMOS sensor, while Sony uses their BSI-CMOS sensor (back-illuminated to improve light-gathering) paired with the BIONZ image processor. In my tests, Sony’s BSI sensor often yields marginally better high ISO noise performance, especially up to ISO 800 and 1600 - a common struggle zone for small sensor compacts. Olympus maxes out native ISO at 6400, whereas Sony can boost up to ISO 12800 (although with obvious compromises in image quality).

Color depth and dynamic range are tricky to compare without formal DXO Mark data, which neither camera has, but I observed Olympus pushing out punchier, slightly more saturated images out of the box, favoring lively outdoor scenes. The Sony tends to produce more neutral tones, which can be good if you like to tweak your images later.

A crucial practical difference is Olympus’s inclusion of a tilting 3-inch screen with 460k dots for better composition flexibility - great for awkward angles or shooting at arm’s length - whereas Sony has a fixed, smaller 2.7-inch 230k dot TFT LCD, easier to see in flashes but less versatile.

My experience: For general daylight shooting, both cameras deliver acceptable quality with no major surprises. In low light, Sony edges out Olympus thanks to its sensor design, but neither will match larger sensor compacts or mirrorless cameras. The Olympus screen tilt is a nice usability feature.

The Eyes and Speed: Autofocus Systems in Real Use

Autofocus (AF) speed and accuracy often define whether you capture the moment or miss it entirely - a reality especially true with quick movers like wildlife or unpredictable street subjects.

Both cameras rely on contrast-detection autofocus systems - the traditional AF method common with compacts - without phase-detection pixels that we now see in many newer mirrorless cameras. This means autofocus can be slower and hunting is a risk in tricky lighting, though the two cameras do implement some face detection technologies.

Olympus boasts face detection and tracking with continuous AF capabilities, and I found it surprisingly responsive in daylight, although it’s prone to slowdowns indoors or with low contrast. Sony also supports face detection, with single AF but no continuous AF, so continuous tracking for moving subjects is effectively absent - a disappointment if you want consistent focus in action scenarios.

Neither offer touch focus on their LCD screens to quickly select focus points, but interestingly, the Sony WX80 does have touchscreen capability for focusing (an unusual addition at this tier), which can speed up composition workflow once you get used to it. Olympus forgoes this, relying on hardware buttons exclusively.

Both cameras provide center-weighted metering and spot metering modes, catering to differing scene complexities. Olympus offers a minimum shutter speed of 4 seconds (useful for some night photography effects), while Sony’s 4 seconds maxes out at 1600 ISO sensitivity.

In the field: The Olympus autofocus pleased me more overall, thanks to continuous AF and tracking, making it better suited to casual wildlife or sports snaps, albeit modestly. Sony’s faster continuous shooting at 10 fps is undercut by single AF only, so you might get a burst of shots but risk focus mistakes with moving subjects.

Lens and Zoom: How Far and Wide Can You Go?

Lens versatility is a major factor for compact camera choice. Olympus TG-860 sports a 5x optical zoom (21-105 mm equivalent), covering a useful wide-to-short-telephoto range. The aperture varies from F3.5 wide open to F5.7 at telephoto - reasonable but somewhat limiting in low light or shallow depth-of-field situations.

Sony WX80 pushes an 8x zoom lens (28-224 mm equivalent), offering longer reach for distant subjects but sacrificing wide angle a bit (starting at 28 mm versus 21 mm for Olympus). Its aperture range is tougher though: f/3.3 at wide and a quite slow f/8 at telephoto, which will challenge low light and depth-of-field control at the long end.

Olympus’s macro focus range is down to a striking 1 cm, empowering extreme close-ups with impressive detail, whereas Sony only reaches about 5 cm in macro focus, so Olympus is clearly stronger for nature and product close-ups.

Image stabilization on both is optical, critical for handheld shooting at long zooms or low shutter speeds. Both systems performed well in my use, with Olympus possibly a bit steadier, thanks to the rugged build offering a better hand grip and the TruPic VII’s stabilization algorithm enhancements.

Real-World Photography Disciplines Exploration

Let’s now walk through how both cameras perform across popular photography genres I know most enthusiasts or pros experiment with at some point.

Portrait Photography

Portraiture benefits from natural skin tones, shallow depth of field, and accurate facial detection focus.

The Olympus TG-860’s 21 mm wide angle isn’t ideal for portraits but its moderate zoom range up to 105 mm is sufficient for head-and-shoulders compositions. The optical stabilization helps steady handheld shots, and face detection is solid. However, due to the sensor and lens aperture, bokeh effects are minimal - as you might expect from a small sensor compact. Skin tones are warm and saturated, pleasing in daylight but sometimes slightly over-processed indoors.

Sony’s WX80 allows longer reach thanks to 224 mm zoom, which is a bonus for candid or environmental portraits from a distance. However, its slower apertures limit background blur drastically. Face detection works passably but is hampered by the lack of continuous AF, making focus hunting occasional. Skin tones here tend more neutral but sometimes feel flat without post-processing.

Landscape Photography

Landscape shooters want wide angles, great dynamic range, and weather resilience.

Olympus’s 21 mm ultra-wide field is a definite plus, letting you frame broad vistas in tight spots. More importantly, it’s built tough with splashproof and freezeproof sealing, ideal for mountain treks or rainy climes where few cameras dare tread. The dynamic range is typical for 1/2.3-inch sensors - highlights clip easily in bright sky but shadows retain moderate detail.

Sony’s WX80’s narrower 28 mm wide is less expansive but still serviceable, and its lack of weather sealing means you must be careful when shooting outdoors in unpredictable conditions. The WX80’s dynamic range is similar but colours lean more neutral here.

Wildlife & Sports Photography

Fast autofocus, burst rates, and lens reach dominate shooting moving subjects.

Olympus’s continuous AF and 7 fps shooting offer reasonable action capture potential, though limited by small sensor crop and zoom reach - 105 mm not exactly a telephoto beast. The rugged build makes it attractive for field use.

Sony offers 10 fps shooting, but with single AF only, risking many out-of-focus frames, frustrating if subjects are moving fast. The 224 mm zoom is attractive for distant subjects but aperture and AF limit success.

Street Photography

Discretion, low light efficiency, and portability count most here.

Sony WX80 wins on pocketability and unobtrusiveness, alongside a quieter shutter. However, its smaller screen and less weather durability limit some usage. Olympus is bulkier but more robust and has a larger, more versatile screen.

Macro Photography

Olympus takes the crown here with 1 cm focusing, plus image stabilization to nail sharp close-up shots - perfect for bug or flower enthusiasts. Sony’s 5 cm minimum focus is decent but less compelling.

Night and Astrophotography

Small sensors limit long exposure quality but Olympus’s 4-second shutter and wider aperture edges help slightly with night snaps. Sony can push ISO higher but noise is very visible. Neither camera is suited for deep-sky astrophotography but casual nightlandscapes are possible.

Video Capabilities

Both shoot Full HD 1080p video at 60 fps - ideal for smooth casual footage. Olympus uses H.264 codec, Sony adds MPEG-4 and AVCHD formats, offering slightly more versatility. Neither has microphone or headphone jacks, so sound quality depends on internal mics - typical for this class. Neither provides 4K video or advanced stabilization modes.

Travel Photography

Versatility and battery life matter most on the road.

Olympus TG-860 offers 300 shots per charge, decent for day-long trips, plus ruggedness makes it great for adventure travel. Sony has 240 shots per charge, lighter weight, and longer zoom reach - handy for urban exploration.

Professional Workflow Considerations

Neither camera supports RAW capture or advanced exposure modes, so they aren’t pro-level tools but good for casual or backup work. They shoot JPEG only, limiting post-processing flexibility.

Connectivity, Storage, and Extras

Both come with built-in Wi-Fi for quick sharing, USB 2.0, and HDMI outputs. Olympus adds GPS tracking - a nice feature for travel memory, while Sony omits GPS but supports Memory Stick storage alongside SD cards. Neither has Bluetooth or NFC connectivity.

Storage-wise, both take SD cards. Sony’s support extends to Memory Stick Duo formats, an older Sony preference, which may appeal to legacy users.

Self-timer and timelapse options differ: Olympus supports timelapse recording natively, which is a fun creative bonus; Sony includes portrait self-timer modes but no timelapse.

Performance Summary and Ratings

To encapsulate the accumulated data and experience, I’ve compiled the overall scores based on usability, image quality, features, and value:

Additionally, breaking the scores down by photography type highlights where each camera shines brighter or flags lower:

Sample Image Gallery: Real Photos from Olympus TG-860 and Sony WX80

Because specs only tell part of the story, here’s a side-by-side gallery showcasing JPEG shots taken on both cameras under varying light conditions - landscapes, portraits, macro, and low light. I’ve kept all EXIF intact for reference.

Olympus TG 860 front Olympus TG 860 screen back Sony WX80 front Sony WX80 screen back

Final Verdict and Recommendations

Both cameras inhabit the affordable compact end of the spectrum, but their target users couldn’t be more different.

Choose the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 if:

• You need a rugged, weather-sealed camera that can survive outdoor adventures, rough handling, and environmental extremes.
• Macro photography interests you, with close focusing down to 1cm.
• You prefer a tilting screen for flexible composition angles.
• You appreciate built-in GPS and timelapse functions.
• Your shooting involves casual wildlife, sports, or environmental portraits with some continuous AF support.
• Battery life lasting about 300 shots per charge fits your outing needs.

Pick the Sony Cyber-shot WX80 if:

• Pocketable size and light weight are paramount - city walks, street photography, and travel with minimal bulk.
• You want an 8x zoom reach (224 mm equivalent) for distance shots.
• You’re comfortable with single AF and fixed screens, prioritizing simplicity over ruggedness.
• Fast burst shooting (10 fps) could be useful, understanding autofocus limits.
• You prefer neutral, low-saturation color profiles and smoother high ISO performance in a pinch.
• You’re looking for support with multiple storage formats including Memory Stick legacy cards.

Final Thoughts

Small sensor compacts like these remain a viable option for enthusiasts on a tight budget or those desiring simplicity with basic good image quality. However, their limitations in autofocus speed, low light, manual control, and lens speed mean they’re best viewed as casual everyday companions rather than advanced photographic tools.

Between these two, my personal pick skews toward the Olympus TG-860 for its rugged versatility and balanced feature set. Still, if you crave pocketing ease and longer zooms for casual captures, the Sony WX80 works well and is easier to carry everywhere.

Whatever your choice, both cameras echo a particular moment in compact camera history - an era when smartphone cameras began their inexorable rise and manufacturers differentiated their compacts by niche features or ruggedness. It’s a reminder that sometimes, what you really want isn’t the biggest sensor or the fastest autofocus, but a camera that fits your lifestyle and encourages you to enjoy capturing moments, wherever life takes you.

Happy shooting!