Olympus TG-320 vs Sony NEX-5R

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus TG-320 vs Sony NEX-5R, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TG-320 (14MP) and the NEX-5R (16MP) is very similar but the TG-320 (1/2.3") and NEX-5R (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The TG-320 was launched 7 months before the NEX-5R so they are of a similar generation. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-320 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5R being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the TG-320 grades against the NEX-5R with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus TG-320 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-320 Gallery and Sony NEX-5R Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-320 comes with outside dimensions of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5R has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-320 vs Sony NEX-5R in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the TG-320 and the NEX-5R.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-320 and NEX-5R is 94 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to imagine the gap between sensor sizes only by going over specs. The image below will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-320 and NEX-5R.

All in all, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The TG-320 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh more challenging and the Sony NEX-5R will offer greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged TG-320 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.