Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic FZ300: A Detailed Comparison for the Photography Enthusiast

Choosing the right camera is a highly personal decision shaped by your photography interests, workflow preferences, and shooting environments. Today, we’re comparing two tough, adventure-ready compacts from Olympus and Panasonic: the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. Each camera brings distinct advantages grounded in different design philosophies - compact ruggedness vs. bridge zoom versatility.

After extensively testing both under varied shooting conditions in portrait, wildlife, macro, video, and more, we’ll break down their core specs, real-world performance, and value. This article aims to be your trusted guide if you’re weighing these outdoorsy options for adventure, travel, or everyday use.

Getting a Feel for Size, Weight, and Handling

Before you even fire a shot, how a camera feels in your hands largely shapes your shooting experience. Ergonomics, button layout, and portability all matter.

• Olympus TG-870: Ultracompact and designed for rugged portability. Weighing only 221 grams and sized at 113×64×28 mm, the TG-870 fits easily in pockets or small packs without feeling cumbersome.
• Panasonic FZ300: A larger bridge-style camera built for versatility, the FZ300 tips the scales at 691 grams with dimensions of 132×92×117 mm. Its SLR-like body offers a firm, secure grip, lending itself well to steady telephoto shooting and extended sessions.

The TG-870’s small footprint is extraordinary for extreme conditions - it’s waterproof, freezeproof, shockproof, and crushproof - ideal for hiking, snorkeling, or snow sports. The FZ300, while weather sealed and dust resistant, isn’t quite as rugged but provides more manual control and a heftier build that many photographers find reassuring during longer shoots.

Control Layout and Design: Intuitive or Complex?

Ease of access to settings impacts your ability to capture decisive moments.

• TG-870 Controls: Streamlined with minimal physical buttons and no manual focus ring; it’s optimized for point-and-shoot simplicity. Tilting screen aids composition but lacks touchscreen capability.
• FZ300 Controls: Plenty of dials, buttons, mode dial, and a fully articulated touchscreen - a real advantage for vloggers and creative shooting angles. Manual focus ring and exposure controls allow deeper customization and direct access, facilitating faster adjustments.

If you value quick, uncomplicated shooting in demanding environments, the TG-870 simplifies matters. Conversely, if you crave control reminiscent of DSLRs or mirrorless cameras - aperture, shutter priority, manual exposure - and an interface catered for both photography and video, the FZ300 stands out.

Breaking Down the Sensors & Image Quality

Both cameras use a 1/2.3” sensor size - a common compact sensor format - but differ in resolution and image processing technologies.

Sensor & Resolution

• The TG-870’s 16MP offers slightly higher resolution, potentially benefiting landscapes and scenarios demanding more cropping flexibility.
• The FZ300 trades megapixels for slightly cleaner images with its 12MP sensor and supporting raw format flexibility. Raw support hugely benefits post-processing, providing latitude in highlight/shadow recovery and creative color grading.

Image Quality in Practice

• Both cameras perform well in bright outdoors conditions typical for adventure photography.
• The TG-870's boosted ISO up to 12800 is somewhat theoretical; real-world noise at high ISOs especially beyond 3200 is usable mainly for snapshots.
• The FZ300’s lower megapixel count results in marginally better noise handling due to larger pixel size, giving an edge in low-light and night photography.

Screen and Viewfinder Usability

Composing your shot and reviewing images is often overlooked but crucial.

• TG-870: 3” tilting LCD with 921k dots; the screen is bright with decent color accuracy but lacks touch capabilities and no electronic viewfinder (EVF). The absence of a viewfinder limits usability in bright daylight.
• FZ300: 3” fully articulating touchscreen with 1040k dots and a high-res 1440k dot EVF with 100% coverage. This allows flexible composition and shooting in harsh sunlight or at eye level through the viewfinder, excellent for precise framing.

The FZ300 provides greater compositional flexibility and usability in diverse lighting and creative use cases like vlogging and macro work with overhead angles.

Autofocus Performance: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus (AF) performance is pivotal for action, wildlife, and candid photography.

• The FZ300’s autofocus system is more robust and versatile. With 49 AF points and selectable AF modes, it handles fast-moving subjects better, achieving more accurate tracking in wildlife and sports scenarios.
• The TG-870, focused on simplicity, provides basic continuous AF and face detection but lacks advanced tracking or selective AF area control.
• Both rely on contrast detection without phase detection pixels; the FZ300’s faster processor and AF point density offer real-world AF speed advantages.

For sports, wildlife, or fast action, the FZ300’s autofocus is markedly superior, allowing you to lock focus on erratic wildlife or athletes and maintain tracking with fewer missed shots. The TG-870 suits casual snapshots with moderate movement.

Lens Capabilities and Zoom Range

A camera’s fixed lens determines your framing versatility out in the field.

The FZ300’s lens is the clear winner for zoom range and aperture:

• Superzoom Reach: The 600 mm equivalent telephoto gives an enormous advantage for wildlife, sports, and distant landscape details you simply cannot achieve with the TG-870’s 105mm max.
• Constant Aperture: Maintaining f/2.8 across the zoom range is exceptionally rare in this category, allowing better low-light performance and creative depth-of-field control.
• Macro Focus: Both cameras excel at close focusing to 1 cm, great for close-up photography; combined with the FZ300’s lens brightness, macro shots appear crisper.

While the TG-870’s zoom is more limited, its compact size means you trade reach for portability and ruggedness. The FZ300’s lens versatility expands your creative freedom but at the cost of increased size and weight.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Capabilities

Capturing action sequences requires good burst performance.

The FZ300 doubles the burst rate of the TG-870, enabling smoother capture of fast action moments - essential for sports or wildlife photography. Its much faster max mechanical shutter speed can also help freeze fast motion or shoot wide-open in bright daylight with wide apertures.

Video Performance and Features

Video capability is increasingly essential for hybrid shooters and content creators.

The Panasonic FZ300 substantially outclasses the TG-870 on video fronts:

• 4K recording unlocks higher resolution and superior cropping or post-production options.
• External Mic Input allows improved audio quality, vital for professional video or vlogging.
• 4K Photo mode lets you extract high-res still frames from 4K footage, excellent for dynamic subjects.
• The TG-870 is limited to Full HD with no advanced audio or touchscreen AF support.

If you plan to shoot hybrid stills/video or want enhanced video capabilities, the FZ300 is the better choice.

Weatherproofing and Durability: Ready for the Outdoors?

Both cameras emphasize ruggedness but with different strengths.

The TG-870 is a powerhouse of durability:

• Waterproof to 15 meters, perfect for swimming and snorkeling without housing,
• Shockproof, crushproof, and freezeproof for rugged, unpredictable conditions,
• Designed for adventurers who demand a camera that withstands real-world abuse with no compromise.

The FZ300, although weather sealed (dust and splash resistant), does not offer the same level of extreme protection. The trade-off is its bigger lens and more complex controls, making it less ideal for strenuous activities involving water immersion or harsh impacts.

Battery Life and Storage

Long shooting sessions also depend on battery longevity and space.

The FZ300 delivers slightly longer battery life, valuable for extended travel photography or event coverage. The TG-870 incorporates GPS, advantageous for geotagging adventure photos, but weighs in with less storage flexibility.

Putting It All Together – Who Should Choose Which?

You’ve seen the specs and how they translate into capabilities and real-world performance. Here’s a summary to help you find the perfect fit.

Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

Why you’d buy this:

• You prioritize ultimate ruggedness with waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, and crushproof construction.
• Compact size, ultra lightweight for travel, hiking, climbing, snorkeling where space and durability matter.
• Simple operation for quick snapshots in extreme conditions; GPS tagging for outdoor adventures.
• Budget-friendly price point around $279.

Use cases:

• Casual to serious outdoor enthusiasts needing a tough camera that won’t fail underwater or in cold.
• Travelers aiming for a durable camera without bulk.
• Casual snapshots and outdoor snapshots with moderate zoom range.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300

Why you’d buy this:

• You want a superzoom bridge camera with huge 24x zoom and constant f/2.8 aperture.
• Advanced manual controls, full exposure modes, raw shooting, and excellent video capabilities including 4K.
• Articulating touchscreen and high-res electronic viewfinder for flexible composition.
• Weather resistant (dust & splash proof) but not fully “hardcore” rugged.
• Higher burst rate and superior autofocus performance for action shooting.
• Price around $598, reflecting its feature-rich design.

Use cases:

• Enthusiasts and advanced photographers needing a one-body solution for wildlife, sports, macro, and video.
• Hybrid shooters demanding good video/audio, manual control, and raw editing capability.
• Those who want more creative freedom and image quality flexibility.

Performance Scores by Use Case

Both cameras have distinct strengths catering to different photographic disciplines. The TG-870 scores highly for travel and outdoor adventure photography due to its durability and GPS features. The FZ300 shines broadly across sports, wildlife, macro, and video production thanks to its lens, controls, and more advanced AF system.

Sample Images: Real-World Test Shots

Olympus TG 870 front Olympus TG 870 screen back Panasonic FZ300 front Panasonic FZ300 screen back

• Portraits & Bokeh: FZ300’s wider aperture delivers softer backgrounds and better subject isolation.
• Landscape & Detail: TG-870’s higher megapixels aid in detailed wide shots; FZ300’s dynamic range pulls back shadows more effectively.
• Wildlife & Sports: FZ300’s long telephoto range and AF tracking ensured crisper, better-framed action shots.
• Macro: Both excel at close focusing, but FZ300’s brightness benefits detail and color saturation.

Overall Rating and Value Analysis

• Olympus TG-870: Best for ruggedness and casual outdoor photographers.
• Panasonic FZ300: Strong performer almost across the board, perfect if you want control, zoom flexibility, and hybrid photo/video prowess.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

If you want a compact, no-nonsense, go-anywhere tough camera for strict outdoor durability and straightforward shooting, lean toward the Olympus TG-870. It excels in environments that challenge your gear physically and offers excellent GPS tagging for explorers.

If you seek a versatile, feature-packed superzoom with professional exposure modes, advanced video features, and powerful autofocus for demanding wildlife or sports shooting, the Panasonic FZ300 is a better match. It’s ideal for photographers who want a “do-it-all” bridge camera with plenty of zoom and creative control.

Expert Tips for Making Your Choice

• Try before you buy: Handling cameras in store will quickly reveal which ergonomics suit your style.
• Consider your primary shooting scenarios: If you’re often near water or need shock resistance, TG-870’s ruggedness is unbeatable.
• Check available lenses/accessories: Though both are fixed lens cameras, verify compatible filters, underwater housings, or flash accessories.
• Memory cards matter: Invest in fast SD cards for the FZ300 if shooting 4K video or high-speed bursts.
• Backup batteries: Always get spares, especially for travel and long shoots.

Wrapping Up

Both Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic FZ300 carve out distinct niches. The TG-870 champions extreme reliability in a tiny package for adventurers, while the FZ300 offers extensive zoom, manual flexibility, and robust video for the enthusiast looking to push creative boundaries.

We encourage you to explore sample shooting with both, highlight your top priorities, and outfit yourself with the right accessories to make the most of your new camera. Here’s to discovering new creative horizons with gear that empowers your vision.

Happy shooting!

If you found this detailed comparison helpful, consider checking out hands-on reviews and sample galleries for both cameras to deepen your understanding before making the final choice. Your perfect photographic companion awaits!