Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic TS6

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Olympus TG-870

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

$499.95

BUY from B&H PHOTO

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Panasonic TS6

16 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) CMOS Sensor

$299.99

BUY from B&H PHOTO

Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic TS6 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras. Both cameras have 16.0MP sensors but Olympus TG-870's sensor is 1/2.3" sized whereas Panasonic TS6 has a 1/2.33" sensor. This will be an interesting match up as even though these two cameras doesn't have the exact same body type, they are both ranked amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Olympus TG-870 is ranked #3 out of 151 Ultracompact cameras with an overall score of 53 whereas Panasonic TS6 is ranked #5 out of 70 Waterproof cameras with an overall score of 57.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus TG-870 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-01-06

16MP - 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)

21-105 mm F3.5-5.7 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3″ Tilting Screen

7.0 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

221g. 113 x 64 x 28 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 Compare

Panasonic TS6 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-01-06

16MP - 1/2.33" CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 6400

28-128 mm F3.3-5.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3″ Fixed Type Screen

10.0 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

214g. 110 x 67 x 29 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Also known as Lumix DMC-FT6

Replaced Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Compare

Reasons to choose Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS6

Articulating Screen	Yes vs No	Flexible shooting positions
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 460k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Shutter Speed	1/2000s vs 1/1300s	faster shutter speed
Focal Length - Wide	21mm vs 28mm	7 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	5.70 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Smartphone_remote control	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS6 over Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 7.0fps	3 fps faster
Battery Life	370 shots vs 300 shots	70 more frames with a single charge
Weight	214 g vs 221 g	7 g lighter
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Focal Length - Tele	128mm vs 105mm	23 mm longer tele reach
Max Aperture - Wide	3.30 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage	5.6m vs 4.0m	1.6m longer range
Price	$300 vs $500	$200 cheaper
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices

Common Strengths of Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS6

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	All the lenses are stabilized
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
GPS	Built-in vs Built-in	track your location
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting

Common Weaknesses of Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS6

External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes

Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic TS6: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6. Olympus TG-870 is 3mm shorter and 1mm thinner than Panasonic TS6 but it is also 3mm wider.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6.

Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic TS6 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic TS6 is 7g lighter than the Olympus TG-870 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

TG-870

TS6

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

TG-870

TS6

Min

Average

Max

Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic TS6: Sensor Comparison

Both Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6 have 16.0 MP resolution sensors but Olympus TG-870's sensor is 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Panasonic TS6's sensor is 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm ).

Since Olympus TG-870's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Panasonic TS6.

Below you can see the TG-870 and TS6 sensor size comparison.

Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic TS6 Lens Specs Comparison

Olympus TG-870 features a 21-105 mm F3.5-5.7 5× zoom lens whereas Panasonic TS6 features a 28-128 mm F3.3-5.9 4.6× zoom lens.

Olympus TG-870 has 7mm wider coverage than the Panasonic TS6. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.30, Panasonic TS6 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Panasonic TS6 has 23mm longer telezoom reach than the Olympus TG-870. However, with a max aperture of f5.70, Olympus TG-870 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

TG-870

TS6

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

TG-870

TS6

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

TG-870

TS6

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

TG-870

TS6

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Olympus TG-870 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Panasonic TS6 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus TG-870 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic TS6 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Image Stabilization
21 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small Body
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details

Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Image Stabilization
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small Body
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
Read the details

Olympus TG-870 for Sports Photography

POOR

Panasonic TS6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Wireless Connection
Image Stabilization
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Focus Points
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Manual Focus Mode
No Built-in Viewfinder
No External Flash Shoe
105 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
23 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Manual Exposure Mode
Image Stabilization
128 mm Tele Lens
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1300s
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
No Manual Focus Mode
No Built-in Viewfinder
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Olympus TG-870 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Panasonic TS6 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
221g
Environmental Sealings
5X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
214g
Environmental Sealings
5X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Olympus TG-870 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Panasonic TS6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Built-in GPS
21 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Manual Focus Mode
No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
Read the details

Manual Exposure Mode
Built-in GPS
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Manual Focus Mode
No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
Read the details

Olympus TG-870 vs Panasonic TS6: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Olympus TG-870 and Panasonic TS6 scores compare:

Olympus TG-870

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #4 out of 153 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #408 out of 1119 in all Cameras

Panasonic TS6

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #45 out of 468 in Compact cameras
Ranked #366 out of 1119 in all Cameras

Panasonic TS6 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus TG-870 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Olympus TG-870

$499.95

Panasonic TS6

$299.99

Panasonic TS6 vs Olympus TG-870 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870	Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS6
Brand	Olympus	Panasonic
Announced	2016-01-06	2015-01-06
Body Type	Ultracompact	Compact
Price	$499.95	$299.99
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3"	1/2.33"
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area	28.07mm²	27.72mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	12800 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	125 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	n/a	23
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	21-105 mm (5×)	28-128 mm (4.6×)
Max Aperture	F3.5-5.7	F3.3-5.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	3″	3″
Resolution	921k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/2000s	1/1300s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.00 m (at ISO 1600)	5.60 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	7.0 fps	10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	221g	214g
Dimensions	113 x 64 x 28mm	110 x 67 x 29mm
Battery Life	300 shots	370 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	BuiltIn	BuiltIn
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction