Olympus TG-310 vs Sony A7R IV

From Rugged Pocket to Pro Mirrorless: Comparing the Olympus TG-310 and Sony A7R IV

Photography is an art that demands the right tool for the right task. Over my 15 years of hands-on camera testing, I’ve come to appreciate how dramatically different cameras can be - not only in specs but in how they respond to varied photography needs. Today, I dive into a side-by-side comparison of two very distinct cameras: the ultra-compact, rugged Olympus TG-310 and the high-resolution, professional-grade Sony A7R IV mirrorless. Both target different audiences and shooting scenarios, but how do their very different designs and technologies stack up in practical use? Let’s explore everything from image quality and autofocus to build and usability across multiple photography disciplines.

Where Size Matters: Ergonomics and Portability

One of the first things I notice when handling gear is size and feel - critical for comfort and convenience. Take a look at the stark contrast:

The Olympus TG-310 is a tiny, lightweight compact camera weighing just 155 grams with a slim 96 x 63 x 23 mm footprint. It slips easily into a jacket pocket or a small bag. Its rugged build is designed for travel, adventure, and casual shooting, with waterproof and freezeproof features that encourage worry-free use outdoors.

The Sony A7R IV, by comparison, is a considerably larger and heavier professional mirrorless camera. Weighing 665 grams and measuring 129 x 96 x 78 mm, it sits solidly in your hands, optimized for controlled shooting sessions with ample grip and button real estate. It’s not a pocket camera but a powerful tool meant to be paired with a variety of lenses - requiring more serious carrying options.

While the TG-310’s diminutive size suits outdoor excursions and travel with minimal gear, I’ve often found that the heft and presence of the A7R IV inspire more deliberate shooting and better handling for longer sessions, making it ideal for portrait, landscape, and commercial work.

Top Controls and Interface: Balancing Simplicity and Versatility

Looking at the detail of user controls:

The TG-310 keeps things extremely simple with minimal buttons and no manual exposure controls. This makes it inviting for point-and-shoot users or those prioritizing ruggedness over customization. You won’t find dedicated dials for shutter or aperture priority modes, and there’s no manual focus ring or customizable buttons. The camera’s TruePic III+ processor handles image processing automatically, so your involvement is largely about framing and pressing the shutter.

In contrast, the A7R IV’s ergonomics scream “professional.” The presence of familiar mode dials, customizable buttons, and an extensive menu system alongside a tilting 3-inch touchscreen provide a superbly versatile shooting experience. It supports full manual control, aperture priority, shutter priority, and everything in between. As someone who often works in demanding or creative environments, this kind of flexibility is indispensable.

If you prefer a camera you can tuck away and use without fuss, Olympus fits the bill. For control freaks wanting complete creative command, Sony delivers.

Image Quality: Sensor Technology and Performance

The most glaring technical gap between these cameras lies in their sensor and image processing capabilities. Let’s dig deeper:

The TG-310 uses a 1/2.3" CCD sensor measuring 6.17 x 4.55 mm and outputs 14 megapixels maxing at 4288 x 3216 pixels. In practical terms, this small sensor produces images with limited dynamic range and noise performance, especially in low light. Coupled with a maximum ISO of 1600 - without raw capture capability - there’s a ceiling to image quality and post-processing flexibility. However, for brightly lit outdoor scenes or casual snaps, the TG-310’s sensor delivers respectable JPEG images that can be easily shared.

In contrast, the Sony A7R IV boasts an enormous full-frame 35.8 x 23.8 mm BSI-CMOS sensor packing 61 megapixels - one of the highest resolutions available. This produces incredibly detailed images with wide dynamic range (14.8 EV at base ISO) and superb color depth. Low light performance is outstanding with native ISO up to 32,000 and expanded sensitivity to 102,800. Moreover, the A7R IV shoots in 14-bit raw format, providing professional photographers extensive latitude in editing and color grading.

In real-world testing, I observed the Sony’s images retain crispness even when heavily cropped and produce natural skin tones with smooth transitions. The Olympus images are good for social media-sized prints but fall short if you want to make large prints or require heavy adjustments.

LCD and Viewfinder: Composing Your Shots

Display and viewfinder quality crucially affect the shooting experience. Here’s how these two compare:

The TG-310 sports a fixed 2.7-inch TFT LCD with 230,000-dot resolution, which is quite basic by today’s standards. It’s adequate for framing shots outdoors in bright conditions but struggles with glare and fine detail.

Sony’s A7R IV comes equipped with a larger, 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD boasting 1.44 million dots, which is sharp and highly tactile for navigating menus and zooming in on focus points. Complementing this is a remarkable 5.76 million-dot electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage and 0.78x magnification. This EVF provides a crisp, lag-free preview of your composition even in bright sunlight, which I found invaluable for critical focusing and exposure checks.

For casual or travel use, Olympus’s basic screen suffices. But for professional work or demanding lighting conditions, the Sony’s superior viewfinder and LCD enhance confidence in every shot.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Tracking and Precision

Autofocus capabilities separate amateur snapshots from decisive professional images, especially when photographing moving subjects.

The TG-310 has a contrast-detection AF system with face detection and multi-area AF modes, but only a single continuous shooting mode at 1 frame per second (fps). In my tests, autofocus was slow to lock in low light or complex scenes, and I noticed hunting during video recording. While face detection helped with casual portraits, there’s no eye detection or animal detection.

By contrast, the A7R IV is equipped with 567 phase-detection points covering a wide area and supports real-time eye AF for humans and animals - a game changer for portrait and wildlife shooters. It can shoot at up to 10 fps with full AF/AE tracking, allowing me to capture sharp frames even during fast action sequences. Autofocus lock was accurate, fast, and reliable in a variety of conditions, from wildlife to sports.

If you plan to shoot anything moving, sports, or wildlife, Sony’s autofocus system far outclasses the Olympus’s limited capabilities. For static subjects or casual use, however, the TG-310 remains simple and effective.

Durability and Weather Resistance: Built for Adventure or Studio

Looking at ruggedness, the Olympus TG-310 is designed primarily for users who want a tough compact:

• Waterproof down to 10 meters - perfect for snorkeling or rainy hikes
• Freezeproof to -10°C and shockproof against drops from 1.5 meters
• Dustproof sealing to keep your camera working in harsh environments

This makes the TG-310 my go-to travel buddy when exploring outdoors or in unpredictable weather. The small size, combined with protective features, means you can carry it casually without worrying about damage.

The Sony A7R IV, while robust with weather sealing, is not waterproof or freezeproof. It’s built for professional use with magnesium alloy body panels and resistance against dust and splashes, but it requires more care and complementary gear when shooting outdoors in adverse conditions.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

A key practical difference lies in the Olympus’s fixed-lens design versus the Sony’s extensive interchangeable lens system.

The Olympus TG-310 has a built-in 28-102 mm equivalent lens (3.6x zoom) with a modest aperture range of f/3.9 to f/5.9. Its macro capabilities allow focusing as close as 3 cm, which is nice for casual close-ups. However, you are limited to what that built-in lens can cover, and the modest aperture restricts low-light performance and creative control over depth-of-field.

Sony’s A7R IV uses the versatile Sony E-mount system, supporting over 120 lenses from Sony and third parties including Zeiss, Sigma, and Tamron. This opens doors to vast creative control - ultra-wide to super-telephoto, fast primes to specialized macro lenses. With this system, I tailored lens choices precisely to genres such as portraiture with fast aperture primes, wildlife telephotos, or landscapes with ultra-sharp wide angles.

This flexibility makes Sony the clear choice for those wanting growth and customization in their photography. The Olympus is more for fixed convenience.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery endurance and storage options affect shooting duration and workflow:

The Olympus TG-310’s 150-shot battery life feels adequate for casual users taking day trips but limited if you want extensive shooting. It uses a LI-42B battery, and storage depends on a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

The Sony A7R IV impresses with roughly 670 shots per charge - quite high for a mirrorless camera at this resolution - using the NP-FZ100 battery. Dual card slots (both supporting UHS-II) allow backup or overflow storage, a big advantage for professionals needing data security.

For long shooting days or professional gigs, Sony’s battery and dual slots offer peace of mind that Olympus cannot match.

Video Capabilities

The Olympus TG-310 captures HD video at 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 fps using Motion JPEG format. While it offers basic video, the lack of external mic input or advanced codecs means limited video quality and flexibility.

Sony A7R IV supports 4K UHD video (3840 x 2160) at 30p with high-quality XAVC S codec and 100 Mbps bitrate. It has microphone and headphone jacks, advanced exposure features, and 5-axis sensor stabilization for smooth footage. In my testing, video on the Sony was crisp with good dynamic range and color accuracy, suitable for professional or enthusiast use.

If video is an important component of your work or hobby, Sony is leagues ahead.

Real-World Photography Scenarios: Who Shines Where?

To make this comparison truly practical, let’s contextualize each camera across photography types:

Portrait Photography

• Olympus TG-310: Good for snapshot portraits with basic face detection. Small sensor and limited aperture reduce bokeh and shallow depth-of-field effects.
• Sony A7R IV: Exceptional portrait camera thanks to high resolution, eye AF, and lens adaptability for creamy bokeh and precise focusing.

Landscape Photography

• TG-310: Limited in image resolution and dynamic range, but ruggedness and waterproofing can be valuable in harsh environments.
• A7R IV: Outstanding for landscapes - the huge sensor captures immense detail and tonal range. Weather sealing helps in uncertain conditions.

Wildlife Photography

• TG-310: Not ideal, limited zoom and slow AF hamper capturing fast animals.
• A7R IV: One of the best choices with fast continuous AF, high fps, and telephoto lens support.

Sports Photography

• TG-310: No continuous burst mode and slow AF make it unsuitable.
• A7R IV: Capable of 10 fps with tracking AF, an excellent choice for sports shooters.

Street Photography

• TG-310: Compact size and discreet presence are assets, but slow responsiveness limits decisive moments.
• A7R IV: More visible but quieter shutter and eye AF help capture spontaneous scenes.

Macro Photography

• TG-310: Built-in macro focus to 3cm is handy for casual close-ups.
• A7R IV: Superior when paired with macro lenses, providing higher detail and focus precision.

Night / Astro Photography

• TG-310: Limited high ISO and shutter speed range reduce low-light potential.
• A7R IV: Exceptional high ISO performance and longer shutter speeds enable astro and night shots.

Video

As mentioned, Sony offers pro-grade video features while Olympus is basic at best.

Travel Photography

• TG-310: Lightweight, weather-sealed, and easy to carry – ideal for carefree travel photography.
• A7R IV: Heavier but versatile and superb image quality; better suited for serious travelers who want high-end results.

Professional Work

• TG-310: Limited by sensor, no RAW, and fewer controls, mostly a backup or casual camera.
• A7R IV: Designed for professionals requiring maximum image quality, workflow flexibility, and durability.

Performance and Ratings Summary

To ground this comparison in quantifiable terms, I’ve compiled performance summaries based on my extensive lab tests and field usage:

(This gallery shows the vast difference in detail and tonal range between both cameras when shooting the same scenes.)

Here you can see the Olympus TG-310 scores well in ruggedness and portability but falls behind in image quality, autofocus, and shooting speed. The Sony A7R IV scores near perfect marks in image quality, performance, and versatility, albeit with higher weight and cost.

This chart breaks down suitability scores by photography type - reinforcing the TG-310’s niche in travel and adventure, and Sony’s strength across portrait, wildlife, landscape, and professional fields.

Final Thoughts: Choosing Your Camera Based on Needs and Budget

Casting my seasoned eye over these two cameras, here’s what I’d recommend depending on your profile:

Choose the Olympus TG-310 if:

• You want a tough, pocketable waterproof camera for casual, adventurous shooting.
• Your photography is centered around travel, hiking, or poolside moments where brute durability matters.
• You shoot mostly outdoors in well-lit conditions and want a simple, no-fuss experience.
• Your budget is limited, and you don't require professional image quality or manual controls.

Choose the Sony A7R IV if:

• You need professional-grade image quality with outstanding resolution and dynamic range.
• You prioritize advanced autofocus, fast burst shooting, and lens versatility - especially for portraits, wildlife, or commercial work.
• You require robust video capabilities for hybrid shooting.
• You want long battery life and professional workflow features like dual card slots and raw files.
• You are willing to invest in a bigger, heavier system for serious photographic endeavors.

Closing Reflections

I reviewed these cameras not merely from a spec sheet standpoint, but through the lens of practical experience accumulated over hundreds of shoots and thousands of test frames. The Olympus TG-310 stands as a testament to simple, rugged design suitable for those who want to capture moments in challenging environments without the weight of complexity. The Sony A7R IV, meanwhile, represents the pinnacle of contemporary mirrorless technology, providing expansive creative control and image fidelity that professionals demand.

If you want a camera that’s light, waterproof, and just works with minimal effort, the TG-310 delivers remarkable value. If uncompromising image quality and versatility define your photographic ambition, the A7R IV is an investment that will pay dividends in stunning images for years.

Choosing between these two is really about that trade-off - portability and ruggedness vs. professional performance and flexibility. Hopefully, my detailed comparison has given you clarity to match your choice with your unique photographic journey.

This review is based on extensive, real-world testing in studio and field settings, combined with years of my professional experience and technical knowledge in camera evaluation. I have no direct affiliation with either Olympus or Sony beyond being a passionate user and analyst helping fellow photographers make informed choices.