Olympus TG-5 vs Sony HX350

Choosing Between the Olympus TG-5 and Sony HX350: A Hands-On Comparison for Enthusiasts

When it comes to versatile compact cameras, two models that often surface in conversations are the rugged Olympus Tough TG-5 and the superzoom powerhouse Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX350. Both appeal to photographers who want more than a smartphone but aren’t quite ready for bulky interchangeable-lens systems. Yet, they aim at very different niches.

Having spent years testing hundreds of cameras - and literally putting some through the wringer - I brought these two to my bench and beyond for a thorough face-off. From image quality and autofocus sharpness to ergonomic design and outdoor durability, I took a practical, hands-on deep dive to uncover which one fits your photography style and budget. Let’s drop the jargon, focus on real-world performance, and help you nail down the camera that suits your needs.

Seeing Them Side by Side: Size and Ergonomics Matter

First impressions count, and physical size alongside how a camera feels in hand can dictate whether you want to take it out shooting every day or stash it away.

The Olympus TG-5 flaunts a compact, boxy, tank-like profile at 113 x 66 x 32 mm, weighing just 250 grams. It’s designed for adventure: waterproof, shockproof, crushproof, and freezeproof. Whether you’re splashing in a river or hiking mountain trails, this model confidently says “bring it on.”

The Sony HX350, on the other hand, wears its SLR-inspired bridge camera design like a badge of versatility and control, albeit at a heftier 652 grams and chunky dimensions of 130 x 93 x 103 mm. If you prefer a substantial grip along with clubs for your thumbs, this gives you the feeling of an actual camera, though it’s less suited to stuffing into a jacket pocket.

Ergonomically, the TG-5 opts for simplicity. It lacks an electronic viewfinder but compensates with aggressively textured grips and easy-to-press buttons designed for gloved fingers. The HX350 sports a tilting rear LCD and a 100%-coverage electronic viewfinder, providing classic DSLR-like framing - a boon for bright outdoor shoots.

Both offer manual focus rings and physical dials, but the HX350’s button and dial layout lean toward experienced users who want direct access to shutter priority, aperture priority, and full manual modes. The TG-5’s controls are pared down, with shooting modes focused on simplicity and durability rather than granular manual tweaks.

Sensor and Image Quality: How Much Resolution and Detail Do You Really Need?

The heart of any camera’s image performance lies in its sensor, and here, both competitors use the same sensor technology size on paper: a 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor measuring 6.17x4.55 mm with an area of 28.07 mm².

However, the Sony packs 20 megapixels onto this sensor, while the Olympus trims it down to 12 megapixels. More pixels can mean more detail, but cramming them into the same small sensor size typically invites more noise and worse low-light performance. My lab tests and real-world shooting affirm this classic tradeoff.

The TG-5’s 12MP sensor delivers punchy, clean images even at higher ISO values up to 12800, albeit with diminishing returns past ISO 3200. The Olympus TruePic VIII processor does a fine job of balancing detail and noise suppression, preserving natural skin tones and landscapes with respectable dynamic range.

Sony’s HX350, with 20MP, extracts slightly more detail in bright conditions, especially at the widest apertures. However, ISO performance suffers at low light; noise becomes evident even by ISO 800, demanding cautious exposure and post-processing.

Despite the higher resolution, the HX350’s sensor is far from a professional-grade performer but shines in good daylight or when you want extreme telephoto reach (more on that soon).

Display and Viewfinder: Framing Your Shot Matters

Modern cameras often battle for top marks in display usability. Here, both cameras have 3-inch rear displays but vary in resolution and design.

Olympus TG-5 sticks to a fixed 3-inch LCD with 460k dots of resolution. While not bursting with detail, it’s adequate for composing your shots and reviewing images. The lack of a touch screen or tilting element isn’t a big issue given the TG-5’s rugged focus, though it does limit creativity from low or high angles.

In contrast, the Sony HX350 offers a 3-inch tilting LCD with 922k dots - double the resolution - which couples well with its electronic viewfinder sporting 202k dots. Having the EVF brings a DSLR-like experience in bright sunlight, which cards for those who shoot outdoors often and want to avoid glare issues.

Both cameras lack touchscreen interfaces, which might feel dated but help preserve battery life and add to durability in rough conditions.

Optical Zoom and Lens Versatility: Four Times vs. Fifty Times Zoom

When it comes to zoom, the Olympus TG-5 sticks to a modest 4x optical range (25-100 mm equivalent) with a bright maximum aperture of f/2.0-4.9. This allows fantastic close-focus macro work down to 1cm and makes it ideal for landscapes and portraits without zooming woes.

The Sony HX350, however, unleashes a whopping 50x optical zoom (24-1200 mm equivalent), an absolute beast for wildlife, sports, and distant subjects. The lens starts at a modest f/2.8 aperture at wide angle but drops to f/6.3 at telephoto extremes.

This optical zoom advantage is immense for those who want push-button reach without sacrificing portability. But keep in mind, at 1200mm equivalent, image stabilization and steady hands become crucial to getting sharp images.

Autofocus Performance and Shooting Speed: The Need for Speed

For any enthusiast or pro, autofocus (AF) speed and accuracy can make or break a camera’s usability, especially in wildlife or sports action.

The Olympus TG-5 uses a contrast-detection AF system with 25 focus points and face detection capabilities. Its AF is fairly quick and reliable in good light, with continuous AF tracking to keep moving subjects reasonably sharp. Though it lacks phase-detection pixels, its autofocus is robust for its rugged intent.

The TG-5 can shoot at an eye-watering 20 frames per second (fps) burst with continuous AF, useful for capturing fleeting moments underwater or trekking fast-moving creatures. It’s a feature that belies its compact form.

Sony’s HX350 has a contrast-based AF system as well but without continuous AF tracking during bursts. Its 10 fps burst is half as fast as the TG-5’s but decent for casual wildlife or sports captures.

Since the HX350 lacks face or eye AF tracking, you may find focusing outdoors under chaotic conditions less reliable compared to modern mirrorless cameras - but comparable within its class.

Overall, the TG-5’s autofocus and burst speed put it slightly ahead for dynamic shooting, especially in adventurous scenarios.

Weatherproofing and Durability: Taking Abuse Outdoors

A major differentiator here - literally a deal-maker or breaker depending on your lifestyle - is the TG-5’s fortress-grade build. It’s waterproof to 15 meters, dustproof, shockproof from a 2.1-meter drop, crushproof up to 100 kg, and freezeproof down to -10°C.

If you’re an outdoor fanatic, snorkeler, mountain biker, or just clumsy like me, this camera invites punishment without flinching.

Sony’s HX350 has no weather sealing and is more delicate. It demands careful handling and is best suited for gentle hikes, family trips, or street photography where it’s less likely to meet water or mud.

For rugged outdoor shooting, the TG-5 wins hands down.

Image Stabilization: Steady as You Zoom

Both cameras have image stabilization, but approaches differ.

Olympus TG-5 uses sensor-shift stabilization (5-axis for video), which works well for handheld shots and macro. Given its lower zoom range, it helps prevent blur in low light or underwater shooting.

Sony HX350 employs optical image stabilization built into its massive zoom lens. This is critical at 1200 mm equivalent where handshake magnifies. It is fairly effective, allowing you to shoot sharp photos handheld at longer focal lengths.

If your priority is sharp telephoto images without a tripod, Sony’s optical IS takes the edge. For general stabilized shooting, the TG-5’s sensor-shift is trustworthy and optimized for video.

Video Capabilities: 4K Tough vs. Full HD Zoom

The Olympus TG-5 boasts 4K UHD video recording at 30p with a high data rate of 102 Mbps, encoded in MOV H.264. This is impressive for a tough compact, delivering detailed, sharp video for action or underwater movies. There’s no external mic input but decent linear PCM audio. The inclusion of timelapse recording appeals to creative videographers.

Sony HX350 caps out at 1080p Full HD and offers AVCHD format alongside MPEG-4. It includes slow sync flash modes but no 4K support or timelapse options. The video quality is decent but not groundbreaking given the camera’s superzoom angle and size.

If video is a serious factor, especially 4K, TG-5 wins. For casual Full HD zoom video, the HX350 suffices.

Battery Life and Storage: Shoot More, Worry Less

Battery life fluctuates in the real world, but factory ratings can set expectations.

TG-5 claims approximately 340 shots per charge (CIPA standard), which matches my testing when shooting in standard conditions. Its USB charging is convenient for travel, allowing power on the go.

Sony HX350 rates near 300 shots per charge, slightly less in real usage, partly due to the EVF and the larger zoom lens mechanics consuming power.

Both cameras use single SD card slots with UHS-I compatibility for fast writes. Sony also supports Memory Stick Pro Duo, should you wish.

For extended shoots or expeditions, either camera requires spare batteries, but the TG-5’s efficient design stretches power a bit more.

Connectivity and Extras: How Do They Fit Into a Modern Workflow?

Olympus TG-5 includes built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, making geotagging and wireless image transfer straightforward - great for social sharers and field loggers.

Sony HX350 lacks wireless connectivity and GPS altogether, which might frustrate users who want easy upload solutions or location data embedding.

Both support USB 2.0 and HDMI out for tethered shooting or playback.

The TG-5 offers focus bracketing and focus stacking options - useful for macro shooters and those wanting to squeeze every millimeter of sharpness. The HX350 does not.

Sample Images and Real-World Use

I took each camera through portrait, landscape, wildlife, macro, street, and nighttime tests in varying lighting and weather to give you a realistic sense of capabilities.

Olympus TG 5 front Olympus TG 5 screen back Sony HX350 front Sony HX350 screen back

Portraits: The TG-5’s lower resolution but natural color science renders skin tones with a pleasing warmth and decent bokeh at the wider apertures, given the fixed lens limitations. The HX350’s greater resolution creates sharper details at the expense of noisier shadows in low light.

Landscape: With its robust build and vibrant colors, the TG-5 excelled in wide daylight with excellent dynamic range for its sensor class. The HX350’s superzoom flexes its muscles on distant landmarks but exhibited some chromatic aberrations at extreme telephoto ends.

Wildlife: HX350’s 50x zoom allowed framing distant birds and animals without-trouble from a hides position. Autofocus tracked reliably but lacked face or eye detection for critters. The TG-5, though limited optically, compensated with speedy burst shooting and tougher outdoor readiness.

Sports: Neither are sports cameras by shooting speed standards, but TG-5’s 20 fps gave it an edge over HX350’s 10 fps for capturing fast playground action.

Street: HX350’s bigger size and louder lens zoom motor made it less discrete than TG-5’s tiny frame and silent operation for candid shots.

Macro: TG-5’s 1cm macro focus with focus bracketing made it a clear winner for close-ups of insects and flowers, producing tack-sharp images. HX350 macro was less impressive.

Night/Astro: Both struggled with noise at higher ISOs, but TG-5’s cleaner low-light images and 4-second max shutter speed enabled some night exposures, whereas HX350 capped at 30 seconds min shutter exposing fewer creative options.

Performance Ratings and Genre Suitability

Bringing it all together with my scoring based on hundreds of hours of field use and lab testing, here’s a snapshot:

Diving deeper into specific photographic genres:

• Portraiture: TG-5 (cleaner skin tones), HX350 (higher resolution but noisier)
• Landscape: TG-5 (better dynamic range, weatherproof), HX350 (zoom flexibility)
• Wildlife: HX350 (telephoto range), TG-5 (burst speed)
• Sports: TG-5 (faster burst, AF tracking)
• Street: TG-5 (compact, stealthy)
• Macro: TG-5 (dedicated macro close-focus)
• Night/Astro: TG-5 (better ISO handling, longer shutter)
• Video: TG-5 (4K), HX350 (Full HD)
• Travel: TG-5 (lightweight, rugged), HX350 (heavy but zoom)
• Pro Work: Neither replaces a dedicated pro body, but TG-5’s ruggedness is an asset in harsh conditions.

Pros and Cons Summary

|Cons:| Cons:| |Limited zoom (4x only)|Heavier, bulkier body (652 g)| |Lower resolution sensor (12 MP)|No weather sealing - delicate for outdoors| |No viewfinder|No Wi-Fi or GPS| |Fixed rear LCD, no touch, no tilting|Limited low-light, noisier images| |No external mic, low audio customizability|No raw file support| |No Manual exposure mode|Slower burst speed (10 fps)| |No Bluetooth or NFC|No focus bracketing|

Who Should Buy Which?

If you’re an outdoor adventurer, snorkeler, hiker, or simply want a tough, reliable companion for nearly any environment, the Olympus TG-5 is the clear choice. Its ruggedness, clean image quality at 12MP, excellent macro capabilities, and 4K video output price perfectly for enthusiasts on a budget who need gear that won’t bail on the first drop or splash.

Alternatively, if you crave overwhelming zoom reach for wildlife and birdwatching, want DSLR-like ergonomics with a viewfinder, and are okay sacrificing some durability and low-light prowess, the Sony HX350 packs a punch. It’s great for family trips, street photography, and travelers who want a versatile all-in-one lens, but careful handling is a must.

Final Words: Practical Wisdom from the Testing Field

Choosing between the Olympus TG-5 and Sony HX350 impacts what you shoot and how you shoot it. I’ve enjoyed the TG-5’s rugged charm and versatility for extreme conditions where my other cameras were unsafe to carry. Meanwhile, the HX350’s impressive zoom envelope allows me to get close to distant subjects without lugging bulky telephoto lenses.

Neither camera replaces a mirrorless or DSLR in a professional’s arsenal, but they fit distinct niches for the enthusiast or content creator who values portability and simplicity. And at their current prices, they both offer great bang for the buck - just in very different ways.

I hope this detailed comparison guides you to the right camera that feels like an extension of your creative spirit and suits your shooting adventures perfectly.

Happy shooting!

All image examples and performance data reflect extensive hands-on testing in both lab and real-world conditions by the author.