Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Panasonic GX9

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus TG-1 iHS and Panasonic GX9, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the TG-1 iHS (12MP) and GX9 (20MP) and the TG-1 iHS (1/2.3") and GX9 (Four Thirds) use different sensor sizing.

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The TG-1 iHS was released 6 years prior to the GX9 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-1 iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GX9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a simple summary of how the TG-1 iHS grades against the GX9 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS and Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-1 iHS Gallery and Panasonic GX9 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-1 iHS offers physical measurements of 112mm x 67mm x 30mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") and a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) while the Panasonic GX9 has proportions of 124mm x 72mm x 47mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.9") and a weight of 407 grams (0.90 lbs).

Examine the Olympus TG-1 iHS and Panasonic GX9 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the TG-1 iHS against the GX9.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-1 iHS and GX9 is 91 and 82 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizing simply by looking at specs. The visual here might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-1 iHS and GX9.

All in all, the 2 cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The TG-1 iHS featuring a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic GX9 will resolve greater detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The older TG-1 iHS is going to be behind in sensor innovation.