Olympus TG-5 vs Sony a1

On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus TG-5 vs Sony a1, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the resolutions of the TG-5 (12MP) and a1 (50MP) and the TG-5 (1/2.3") and a1 (Full frame) posses different sensor sizes.

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The TG-5 was introduced 4 years prior to the a1 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-5 being a Compact camera and the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the TG-5 scores vs the a1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Tough TG-5 & Sony Alpha a1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-5 Gallery & Sony a1 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus TG-5 enjoys physical dimensions 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 Sony a1 has specifications of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus TG-5 vs Sony a1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the TG-5 versus the a1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-5 and a1 is 90 and 61 respectively.

Typically, its tough to imagine the difference in sensor measurements purely by going through technical specs. The graphic here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-5 and a1.

As you can tell, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-5 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh harder and the Sony a1 will provide greater detail using its extra 38 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The older TG-5 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.