Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Samsung WB250F: A Practical Comparison From the Field

Choosing a compact camera nowadays feels a bit like buying a Swiss Army knife - you want a tool versatile enough to cover multiple situations, reliable in rugged conditions, but without overwhelming complexity. Today I'm putting two compact travel-friendly cameras head-to-head: the Olympus TG-820 iHS, hailed for its rugged, waterproof design, and the Samsung WB250F, a superzoom compact with an eye on versatility and connectivity.

I spent weeks testing both cameras across various photography disciplines and lighting conditions, from dusty trails and beach days to urban exploration and casual wildlife shoots. What follows is a thorough comparison grounded in experience, technical insights, and lots of real-world shooting to help you understand which of these two might suit your style best.

First Impressions: Size, Design, and Ergonomics

Right away, the environments these cameras are designed for become clear. The Olympus TG-820 iHS wears its "tough camera" badge with pride whereas the Samsung WB250F looks sleek and traditional, aiming for portability combined with a zoom range that covers many bases.

The TG-820 iHS sports a more robust, chunkier frame at 101 x 65 x 26 mm and 206 g, crafted to withstand water, dust, shocks, and even freezing temperatures. I found the grip substantial and secure, which is a huge confidence booster during rough outdoor use - not one to worry about slipping from damp hands.

The WB250F, by contrast, is slightly slimmer at 106 x 62 x 22 mm and a touch heavier at 226 g, but with less overt ruggedness. Its design is smoother, more compact, and less intimidating if you're planning to carry it in a coat pocket or day bag. For street photography or casual travel, it gains points for discreteness.

Looking from the top for operational nuances:

The Olympus keeps controls minimal and straightforward, tailored more for point-and-shoot ease, lacking dedicated dials for shutter or aperture priority. The Samsung introduces more flexibility with manual exposure modes and dedicated buttons for quicker access to settings, a nod to the enthusiast who wants more creative control without lugging around a DSLR.

Sensor and Image Quality – Digging Beneath the Surface

Both cameras employ rather standard 1/2.3" sensors measuring 6.17 x 4.55 mm, but that’s where the similarity ends.

The Olympus TG-820 has a 12 MP CMOS sensor with an anti-aliasing filter and the TruePic VI processor. The Samsung WB250F steps it up slightly with a 14 MP BSI CMOS sensor, known for improved light gathering in compact sensors and slightly better low-light performance.

In practical testing, this meant the Samsung delivered images with a bit more detail resolution and better color rendition in subdued lighting. Skin tones under natural daylight appeared pleasantly neutral with the WB250F, while the TG-820 tended to produce more muted, cooler hues - usually easy to fix in post but worth knowing if you shoot portraits outdoors.

Dynamic range is tight on both, as expected with small sensors, but the Samsung pulled more shadow detail preserving highlights marginally better. Surprising, given the Olympus’s rugged build, it couldn’t quite match the cleaner ISO 800 images I managed with the Samsung.

How They Handle Different Photography Genres

Portrait Photography: More Than Skin Deep

Portraits push cameras in terms of color reproduction, bokeh quality, and focusing precision - especially facial and eye detection.

The Olympus TG-820’s 28-140 mm equivalent lens with f/3.9-5.9 maximum apertures is decent but can struggle in shallow depth-of-field scenarios. Its face detection autofocus is proficient but lacks the animal-eye AF Samsung includes, which wasn’t relevant for my human models but could matter for pet photography.

Samsung’s WB250F, with a 24-432mm lens and slightly brighter f/3.2-5.8 aperture at the short end, allowed me to isolate subjects better. The face-detection AF here was also more responsive. Look at the sample portraits from both cameras:

Olympus TG 820 iHS front Olympus TG 820 iHS screen back Samsung WB250F front Samsung WB250F screen back

Notice the smoother skin-tone rendition on the WB250F, more pleasing bokeh quality especially at longer focal lengths, despite the shared small sensor size limitation. Also note the clarity jump attributable to the higher sensor resolution and better lens sharpness.

Landscape Photography: Detail and Range Matter

When capturing vast landscapes with intricate details and high contrast, sensor performance and lens sharpness really come into focus.

Although both cameras share identical sensor sizes, the WB250F’s higher 14 MP resolution translates to finer detail capture - something memorable when printing larger formats or cropping in post.

Another key landscape consideration: weather sealing. Olympus TG-820 is waterproof to 10 meters, freezeproof to -10°C, crushproof, dustproof, and shockproof. The Samsung offers none of these, so you’ll need to be considerably more cautious trekking through rough terrain or inclement weather.

Resolution and dynamic range-wise, neither camera is going to replace a mid-range mirrorless or DSLR, but for casual landscapes, the Olympus’s rugged durability enables shots in environments where the Samsung wouldn’t dare venture, giving you unique creative chances.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Speed and Reach Tested

The WB250F flexes its superzoom muscle with an 18x zoom range (24-432mm equivalent), significantly outpacing the TG-820’s 5x zoom (28-140mm equivalent). Impressive for capturing distant wildlife or fast-moving subjects.

However, at these long focal lengths, image stabilization is crucial. The Olympus uses sensor-shift stabilization, known for solid performance in-camera, especially in tough shooting conditions as found in outdoor adventures.

Samsung employs optical image stabilization, often effective across the superzoom focal range. In real-world handheld tests, both performed well preventing blur, but the TG-820’s sensor-shift system showed steadier results in shaky conditions.

Focus speed and tracking were also better on Samsung, owing to its more advanced AF system featuring AF center, selective, and multi-area modes, plus face detection and tracking AF. While the TG-820 tracks subjects fairly reliably, it lacks the focus area flexibility and sometimes hunts a bit longer, making it a bit less ideal for rapid sports sequences.

Continuous shooting reinforces this: WB250F squeezes 8 FPS, excellent for action bursts; the TG-820 maxes out at 5 FPS, sufficient but not exceptional.

Street Photography and Everyday Carry

Here, discretion, responsiveness, and portability are king. Both cameras are pocket-friendly, but the Samsung’s slimmer profile gives it an edge. Its touchscreen LCD provides quick navigations and settings tweaks without digging through menus - something I appreciated while shooting candid street scenes swiftly.

The Olympus’s HyperCrystal III TFT LCD excels in bright sunlight with higher resolution (1030k dots vs Samsung’s 460k dots), making it easier to compose shots outdoors. Yet, the fixed, non-touch design slows quick setting changes compared to the WB250F.

Macro, Night, and Travel Shooting

Macro Photography

The TG-820 excels with its macro focusing down to 1 cm, a notable advantage over Samsung which doesn’t report special macro capabilities. Shooting close-ups of flowers and textures, the Olympus produced sharper detail and better color saturation, enhanced further by its sensor-shift stabilization keeping shots steady even at longer exposures.

Night and Astro Photography

Both cameras allow native ISO starting at 100, with a maximum of 6400 (TG-820) and 3200 (WB250F). The Olympus allows longer exposures down to 4 seconds, favorable for static night shots, although its smaller maximum shutter speed range may limit some astrophotography techniques.

Neither camera is ideal for serious astro but for casual nightscapes and cityscapes they suffice. The Olympus’s ruggedness again shines here, making it less risky to photograph in damp or chilly night environments.

Travel Photography

Considering all factors - size, weight, zoom, durability - the Samsung WB250F is a flexible swiss-army knife suitable for travelers wanting a combo of zoom reach and decent image quality at a budget-friendly price ($249). The Olympus TG-820 iHS demands a steeper premium ($499) but compensates with unmatched durability for adventure travel, plus the macro and night photography boosts.

Video Capabilities and Connectivity

Both models offer Full HD 1080p 30 fps video recording with MPEG-4 and H.264 codecs.

Video quality on both is serviceable but nothing cinematic. The Olympus TG-820’s sensor-shift stabilization aids smooth handheld video capture better than Samsung’s optical stabilization in my testing.

Samsung shines with its built-in Wi-Fi, enabling social media sharing and remote control via smartphone apps - a feature missing on the Olympus, which offers no wireless connectivity at all and only USB 2.0 and HDMI outputs.

For vloggers or casual video enthusiasts, the Samsung’s connectivity and touchscreen interface provide more usability and convenience.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Here Olympus’s TG-820 iHS really earns its stripes. Certified waterproof up to 10 meters, dust, shock, crush, and freezeproof, it's built to survive rigorous outdoor use where other cameras would falter.

Samsung WB250F is a typical compact: sleek but vulnerable to the elements. No seals or protective design features. It does the job well under usual conditions but treat it like you would any delicate electronics.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery life is modest on both with the TG-820 rated for about 220 shots per charge; Samsung’s official ratings are not stated but generally in the same ballpark.

Both use standard SD cards, which gives ample options for storage and quick offloading.

Real-World Scores and Strengths

Here’s a consolidated look at their overall performance across key photography genres:

And a more granular, genre-specific breakdown:

The TG-820 dominates in ruggedness, macro, and night scenarios. The WB250F takes the lead in zoom reach, exposure control flexibility, burst rate, and image detail, especially for portraits and wildlife shots.

What You Should Know Before Buying

Pick Olympus TG-820 iHS if you:

• Need a rugged, reliable camera for outdoor adventure, water sports, or extreme conditions
• Enjoy macro and night photography without carrying extra gear
• Value stabilized handheld shooting in tough environments
• Appreciate a sharper, higher-res LCD for composing in bright daylight

Go with Samsung WB250F if you:

• Want maximum zoom reach in a compact, stylish body for travel or wildlife
• Favor manual exposure modes and faster autofocus tracking for dynamic subjects
• Appreciate built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for easy sharing
• Need a budget superzoom offering versatile everyday shooting without extreme ruggedness

Final Thoughts

Neither camera tries to mimic DSLR or mirrorless beasts, but both offer cleverly tailored strengths. The Olympus TG-820 iHS is a niche champion for the outdoorsy photographer who puts durability and dependability above all else. The Samsung WB250F offers more creative freedom with exposure control, zoom range, and digital conveniences - perfect if your photography demands variability and mobility.

If I were packing for a beach hike or snowy mountaintop trek, the TG-820 would stay in my bag without hesitation. For urban expeditions or wildlife spotting from a park bench, the WB250F is my companion.

In the end, it’s about your priorities: do you value raw resilience and straightforward shooting or zoom versatility matched with smarter controls? I hope this detailed, experience-rich comparison helps you decide with confidence.

Safe shooting out there!

If you want a detailed walk-through of settings and sample photos from these cameras, check out my video review linked above - it covers everything from handling to image quality nuances not captured on paper.