Olympus TG-5 vs Sony RX10

Following is a extensive assessment of the Olympus TG-5 and Sony RX10, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the TG-5 (12MP) and RX10 (20MP) and the TG-5 (1/2.3") and RX10 (1") have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The TG-5 was unveiled 3 years after the RX10 which is a fairly significant 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 RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the TG-5 matches up versus the RX10 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Tough TG-5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The full galleries are provided at Olympus TG-5 Gallery & Sony RX10 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-5 has exterior dimensions of 113mm x 66mm x 32mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") along with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Sony RX10 has sizing of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") with a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-5 and Sony RX10 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the TG-5 vs the RX10.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-5 and RX10 is 90 and 58 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes merely by going through specifications. The picture below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-5 and RX10.

Plainly, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The TG-5 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony RX10 will produce more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more modern TG-5 should have a benefit in sensor tech.