Olympus TG-610 vs Sony NEX-5N

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus TG-610 versus Sony NEX-5N, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TG-610 (14MP) and the NEX-5N (16MP) is fairly similar but the TG-610 (1/2.3") and NEX-5N (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The TG-610 was revealed 9 months earlier than the NEX-5N so they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-610 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a short overview of how the TG-610 scores vs the NEX-5N in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus TG-610 and Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The full galleries are provided at Olympus TG-610 Gallery and Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus TG-610 enjoys external dimensions of 96mm x 65mm x 26mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 1.0") and a weight of 190 grams (0.42 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5N has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-610 versus Sony NEX-5N in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the TG-610 vs the NEX-5N.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-610 and NEX-5N is 93 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to envision the difference between sensor measurements merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual underneath may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-610 and NEX-5N.

As you can see, each of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The TG-610 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Sony NEX-5N will deliver greater detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older TG-610 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.