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Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5

Portability
91
Imaging
36
Features
40
Overall
37
Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5 front
Portability
89
Imaging
54
Features
58
Overall
55

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Key Specs

Olympus TG-1 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 230g - 112 x 67 x 30mm
  • Launched May 2012
Sony NEX-5
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 287g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
  • Launched June 2010
  • Newer Model is Sony NEX-5N
Photography Glossary

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Overview

Lets look closer at the Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-1 iHS (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the TG-1 iHS (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The TG-1 iHS was introduced 24 months after the NEX-5 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-1 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a concise overview of how the TG-1 iHS grades vs the NEX-5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-1 iHS over the Sony NEX-5

 TG-1 iHS NEX-5 
LaunchedMay 2012June 2010Newer by 24 months

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5 over the Olympus TG-1 iHS

 NEX-5 TG-1 iHS 
Manual focus Dial accurate focus
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution920k610kCrisper screen (+310k dot)

Common features in the Olympus TG-1 iHS and Sony NEX-5

 TG-1 iHS NEX-5 
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen measurement
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch screen Neither contains Touch screen

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to travel with your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-1 iHS has got outer measurements of 112mm x 67mm x 30mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") and a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the TG-1 iHS vs the NEX-5.

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-1 iHS and NEX-5 is 91 and 89 respectively.

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Sensor Comparison

Usually, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions only by going through specifications. The picture here might give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-1 iHS and NEX-5.

Plainly, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The TG-1 iHS using its smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Sony NEX-5 will produce more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures more aggressively. The more recent TG-1 iHS will have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus TG-1 iHS
Portrait photography with Sony NEX-5
27
comes with face detect autofocus
manual focus not available
no manual mode
can't use external flash
low resolution sensor (12MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
72
you can focus manually
decent MP (14MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus TG-1 iHS
Street photography with Sony NEX-5
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
screen does not articulate
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
76
screen tilts up and down
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus TG-1 iHS
Sports photography with Sony NEX-5
40
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with tracking focus
weather proof
great battery pack (350 per charge)
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
52
decent MP (14 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
does not have image stabilization
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus TG-1 iHS
Travel photography with Sony NEX-5
68
great battery pack (350 CIPA)
weather proof
built-in flash
rather wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
missing Timelapse mode
low resolution sensor (12MP)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
59
decent MP (14MP)
missing Timelapse function
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Landscape photography camera
46
rather wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
great battery pack (350 shots)
manual focus not available
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
no manual mode
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
missing Timelapse mode
68
you can focus manually
change lenses (Sony E mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
decent MP (14 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
does not have image stabilization
missing Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS Vlogging info
Sony NEX-5 Vlogging info
36
rather wide (25mm)
good maximum aperture (f2.0)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with face detect autofocus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
missing microphone jack
28
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
missing microphone jack
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Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-1 iHS and Sony NEX-5
 Olympus Tough TG-1 iHSSony Alpha NEX-5
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS Sony Alpha NEX-5
Type Waterproof Entry-Level Mirrorless
Launched 2012-05-08 2010-06-07
Body design Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VI Bionz
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 3968 x 2976 4592 x 3056
Max native ISO 6400 12800
Min native ISO 100 200
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points - 25
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Maximal aperture f/2.0-4.9 -
Available lenses - 121
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen size 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 610 thousand dot 920 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames/s 7.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - 12.00 m
Flash settings - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash sync - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format H.264 AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 230g (0.51 pounds) 287g (0.63 pounds)
Physical dimensions 112 x 67 x 30mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 69
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.2
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.2
DXO Low light rating not tested 796
Other
Battery life 350 photographs 330 photographs
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID LI90B NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 and 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse shooting
Storage media - SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots One One
Price at launch $399 $599