Olympus TG-5 vs Samsung NX500

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus TG-5 and Samsung NX500, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Samsung. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the TG-5 (12MP) and NX500 (28MP) and the TG-5 (1/2.3") and NX500 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The TG-5 was brought out 2 years later than the NX500 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-5 being a Compact camera and the Samsung NX500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a thorough comparison, below is a short view of how the TG-5 grades versus the NX500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Tough TG-5 and Samsung NX500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-5 Gallery and Samsung NX500 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus TG-5 provides physical dimensions of 113mm x 66mm x 32mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") and a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Samsung NX500 has specifications of 120mm x 64mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Examine the Olympus TG-5 and Samsung NX500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the TG-5 against the NX500.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-5 and NX500 is 90 and 87 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizing only by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic here should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-5 and NX500.

Clearly, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The TG-5 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh trickier and the Samsung NX500 will give more detail having its extra 16MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The fresher TG-5 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.