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Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8

Portability
91
Imaging
36
Features
42
Overall
38
Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 front
Portability
74
Imaging
59
Features
84
Overall
69

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 Key Specs

Olympus TG-2 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 230g - 111 x 67 x 29mm
  • Launched June 2013
Panasonic GX8
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 487g - 133 x 78 x 63mm
  • Introduced July 2015
  • Replaced the Panasonic GX7
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Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 Overview

The following is a extended review of the Olympus TG-2 iHS and Panasonic GX8, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the TG-2 iHS (12MP) and GX8 (20MP) and the TG-2 iHS (1/2.3") and GX8 (Four Thirds) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The TG-2 iHS was manufactured 24 months earlier than the GX8 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GX8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short view of how the TG-2 iHS scores vs the GX8 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-2 iHS over the Panasonic GX8

 TG-2 iHS GX8 

Reasons to pick Panasonic GX8 over the Olympus TG-2 iHS

 GX8 TG-2 iHS 
IntroducedJuly 2015June 2013Newer by 24 months
Focus manually Dial exact focusing
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1040k610kSharper screen (+430k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Olympus TG-2 iHS and Panasonic GX8

 TG-2 iHS GX8 
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen sizing

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 Physical Comparison

If you're intending to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-2 iHS has outer measurements of 111mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) while the Panasonic GX8 has sizing of 133mm x 78mm x 63mm (5.2" x 3.1" x 2.5") having a weight of 487 grams (1.07 lbs).

Compare the Olympus TG-2 iHS and Panasonic GX8 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the TG-2 iHS against the GX8.

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-2 iHS and GX8 is 91 and 74 respectively.

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, its difficult to see the difference between sensor dimensions merely by checking technical specs. The picture underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-2 iHS and GX8.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The TG-2 iHS featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field tougher and the Panasonic GX8 will give extra detail due to its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged TG-2 iHS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus TG-2 iHS
Portrait photography with Panasonic GX8
27
has face detection focus
no manual focus
manual mode not possible
no external flash support
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
75
has manual focus
megapixel count good (20MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports face detect focusing
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus TG-2 iHS
Street photography with Panasonic GX8
61
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proofing
screen does not articulate
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
80
screen can move to multiple angles
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
supports touch focus
weather proofing
great high ISO (25,600)
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus TG-2 iHS
Sports photography with Panasonic GX8
40
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has tracking autofocus
environment proofing
better than average battery life (350 CIPA)
slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
resolution not great (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
68
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shooting (1/16,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports tracking focus
weather proofing
low battery life (330 shots)
doesn't have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS Travel photography factors
Panasonic GX8 Travel photography factors
68
better than average battery life (350 shots)
environment proofing
flash built-in
fairly wide (25mm)
great max aperture (f2.0)
lack of Timelapse function
resolution not great (12MP)
does not have a selfie friendly display
73
weather proofing
supports touch focus
megapixel count good (20 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
low battery life (330 CIPA)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS as a Landscape photography camera
Panasonic GX8 as a Landscape photography camera
46
fairly wide (25mm)
great max aperture (f2.0)
nice screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proofing
better than average battery life (350 per charge)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
manual mode not possible
resolution not great (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
lack of Timelapse function
76
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (20MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
great high ISO (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
weather proofing
low battery life (330 shots)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS as a Vlogging camera
Panasonic GX8 as a Vlogging camera
36
fairly wide (25mm)
great max aperture (f2.0)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does not have a selfie friendly display
lack of external microphone support
81
selfie friendly display
touchscreen capability
image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports face detect focusing
video res high (3840 x 2160 resolution)
comes with mic support
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Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Panasonic GX8 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-2 iHS and Panasonic GX8
 Olympus Tough TG-2 iHSPanasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
Class Waterproof Advanced Mirrorless
Launched 2013-06-28 2015-07-16
Physical type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Venus Engine
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 20 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 3968 x 2976 5184 x 3888
Max native ISO 6400 25600
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW support
Lowest enhanced ISO - 100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points - 49
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Highest aperture f/2.0-4.9 -
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Total lenses - 107
Crop factor 5.8 2.1
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Display size 3 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 610 thousand dots 1,040 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Display technology OLED -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,360 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.77x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 seconds 60 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Fastest quiet shutter speed - 1/16000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 5.0fps 12.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - no built-in flash
Flash options - Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, forced on, forced on w/redeye reduction, slow sync, slow sync w/redeye reduction, forced off
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 3840 x 2160 (30p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 3840x2160
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 230 grams (0.51 lbs) 487 grams (1.07 lbs)
Dimensions 111 x 67 x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") 133 x 78 x 63mm (5.2" x 3.1" x 2.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 75
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.5
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.6
DXO Low light rating not tested 806
Other
Battery life 350 pictures 330 pictures
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID Li-90B -
Self timer Yes (2 and 12 sec, Pet Auto Shutter) Yes
Time lapse feature
Type of storage - SD/SDHC/SDXC card
Card slots 1 1
Price at release $380 $898