Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic G9

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic G9, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the TG-870 (16MP) and the G9 (20MP) is relatively comparable but the TG-870 (1/2.3") and G9 (Four Thirds) enjoy different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The TG-870 was released 22 months earlier than the G9 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Panasonic G9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a simple view of how the TG-870 grades versus the G9 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 & Panasonic Lumix DC-G9. The complete galleries are available at Olympus TG-870 Gallery & Panasonic G9 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-870 features outer dimensions of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Panasonic G9 has proportions of 137mm x 97mm x 92mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 3.6") having a weight of 658 grams (1.45 lbs).

Examine the Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic G9 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the TG-870 and the G9.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-870 and G9 is 91 and 62 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to imagine the difference in sensor sizes purely by going through technical specs. The picture underneath will give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-870 and G9.

As you can tell, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-870 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic G9 will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged TG-870 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.