Olympus TG-870 vs Samsung NX500

Lets look much closer at the Olympus TG-870 versus Samsung NX500, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Samsung. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the TG-870 (16MP) and NX500 (28MP) and the TG-870 (1/2.3") and NX500 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The TG-870 was revealed 12 months later than the NX500 so they are both of a similar age. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Samsung NX500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise view of how the TG-870 scores versus the NX500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 & Samsung NX500. The full galleries are provided at Olympus TG-870 Gallery & Samsung NX500 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-870 provides external dimensions of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Samsung NX500 has measurements of 120mm x 64mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-870 versus Samsung NX500 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the TG-870 vs the NX500.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-870 and NX500 is 91 and 87 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by going through specifications. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-870 and NX500.

To sum up, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The TG-870 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Samsung NX500 will provide more detail because of its extra 12MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more recent TG-870 is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.