Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony NEX-5

Lets look more closely at the Olympus TG-820 iHS and Sony NEX-5, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-820 iHS (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is very similar but the TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The TG-820 iHS was announced 21 months after the NEX-5 making them a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a concise view of how the TG-820 iHS scores versus the NEX-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus TG-820 iHS and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus TG-820 iHS Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus TG-820 iHS provides outer dimensions of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") having a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5 has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Examine the Olympus TG-820 iHS and Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the TG-820 iHS and the NEX-5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-820 iHS and NEX-5 is 92 and 89 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to see the gap between sensor sizes simply by going over technical specs. The picture underneath will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-820 iHS and NEX-5.

As you can tell, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The TG-820 iHS having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony NEX-5 will deliver more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos way more aggressively. The younger TG-820 iHS will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.