Olympus TG-5 vs Panasonic G9

Let's look much closer at the Olympus TG-5 and Panasonic G9, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a significant difference among the resolutions of the TG-5 (12MP) and G9 (20MP) and the TG-5 (1/2.3") and G9 (Four Thirds) use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The TG-5 was released 5 months before the G9 and they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-5 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic G9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the TG-5 grades versus the G9 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Tough TG-5 and Panasonic Lumix DC-G9. The complete galleries are available at Olympus TG-5 Gallery and Panasonic G9 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-5 comes with outer measurements of 113mm x 66mm x 32mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Panasonic G9 has sizing of 137mm x 97mm x 92mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 3.6") with a weight of 658 grams (1.45 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus TG-5 and Panasonic G9 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the TG-5 versus the G9.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the TG-5 and G9 is 90 and 62 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes only by going through specs. The picture below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-5 and G9.

All in all, each of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-5 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic G9 will produce extra detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively.