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Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5

Portability
91
Imaging
36
Features
42
Overall
38
Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-5 front
Portability
89
Imaging
54
Features
58
Overall
55

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 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
  • Revealed June 2013
Sony NEX-5
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 287g - 111 x 59 x 38mm
  • Released June 2010
  • New Model is Sony NEX-5N
Photography Glossary

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Overview

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus TG-2 iHS versus Sony NEX-5, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the TG-2 iHS (12MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is fairly close but the TG-2 iHS (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

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The TG-2 iHS was introduced 3 years later than the NEX-5 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-2 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the TG-2 iHS scores versus the NEX-5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-2 iHS over the Sony NEX-5

 TG-2 iHS NEX-5 
ReleasedJune 2013June 2010Fresher by 38 months

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-5 over the Olympus TG-2 iHS

 NEX-5 TG-2 iHS 
Focus manually Dial accurate focus
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution920k610kSharper display (+310k dot)

Common features in the Olympus TG-2 iHS and Sony NEX-5

 TG-2 iHS NEX-5 
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display size
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither provides Touch friendly display

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-2 iHS provides physical dimensions of 111mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") with a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has dimensions 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-2 iHS versus Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the TG-2 iHS compared to the NEX-5.

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-2 iHS and NEX-5 is 91 and 89 respectively.

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Sensor Comparison

Often, its hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizing simply by researching specs. The visual underneath will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-2 iHS and NEX-5.

All in all, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The TG-2 iHS with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Sony NEX-5 will provide you with greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The fresher TG-2 iHS should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS Portrait photography features
Sony NEX-5 Portrait photography features
27
comes with face detect focus
manual focus not available
lack of manual exposure
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
72
you can focus manually
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS Street photography info
Sony NEX-5 Street photography info
61
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
no articulating screen
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
76
has a tilting screen
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS Sports photography features
Sony NEX-5 Sports photography features
40
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with tracking focus
weather proof
good battery power (350 CIPA)
low frames per second (5.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
52
good megapixels (14MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
lack of image stabilization
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS Travel photography features
Sony NEX-5 Travel photography features
68
good battery power (350 CIPA)
weather proof
has built in flash
relatively wide (25mm)
good max aperture (f2.0)
does not have Time Lapse recording
sensor resolution low (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
59
good megapixels (14MP)
no Time Lapse mode
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS as a Landscape photography camera
Sony NEX-5 as a Landscape photography camera
46
relatively wide (25mm)
good max aperture (f2.0)
good sized screen (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
good battery power (350 per charge)
manual focus not available
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of manual exposure
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
does not have Time Lapse recording
68
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
good megapixels (14MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
lack of image stabilization
no Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-2 iHS Vlogging advice
Sony NEX-5 Vlogging advice
36
relatively wide (25mm)
good max aperture (f2.0)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with face detect focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
display is not selfie friendly
does not have mic jack
28
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
display is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
no mic port
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Olympus TG-2 iHS vs Sony NEX-5 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-2 iHS and Sony NEX-5
 Olympus Tough TG-2 iHSSony Alpha NEX-5
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS Sony Alpha NEX-5
Category Waterproof Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2013-06-28 2010-06-07
Body design Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Bionz
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 3968 x 2976 4592 x 3056
Highest native ISO 6400 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points - 25
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Highest aperture f/2.0-4.9 -
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Total lenses - 121
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 610k dot 920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display technology OLED -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 5.0fps 7.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - 12.00 m
Flash modes - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 230 gr (0.51 lbs) 287 gr (0.63 lbs)
Physical dimensions 111 x 67 x 29mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.1") 111 x 59 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO Overall 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 photos 330 photos
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID Li-90B NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 and 12 sec, Pet Auto Shutter) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse feature
Type of storage - SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots One One
Retail cost $380 $599