Leica X-U vs Olympus TG-5

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Leica X-U

16 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Olympus TG-5

12 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Leica X-U vs Olympus TG-5 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Leica and Olympus. Leica X-U was introduced to market in January 2016 and Olympus TG-5 was launched in May 2017. There is 16 months difference between X-U and TG-5 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger TG-5, especially in sensor tech.

Leica X-U has a 16.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Olympus TG-5 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3" sensor.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Leica X-U Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-01-20

16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12500

35 mm f1.70 Prime Lens

3" Fully Articulated Screen

5.0 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

635g. 140 x 79 x 88 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Also known as Typ 113

Olympus TG-5 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2017-05-17

12MP - 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 100-12800)

25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

20.0 fps continuous shooting

3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

250g. 113 x 66 x 32 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Olympus Tough TG-4 Compare

Olympus TG-5 was replaced by Olympus Tough TG-6. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus Tough TG-6 vs Olympus Tough TG-5
Olympus Tough TG-6 vs Leica X-U (Typ 113)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Leica X-U over Olympus Tough TG-5

Articulating Screen	Yes vs No	Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 12 MP	33% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution	920k dots vs 460k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Battery Life	450 shots vs 340 shots	110 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Max Aperture - Wide	1.70 vs 2.00	faster lens at wide
Sensor Pixel Area	23.04µm² vs 2.34µm²	884% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Reasons to choose Olympus Tough TG-5 over Leica X-U

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
Built-in Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max ISO	12.800 vs 12.500	2% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 11	14 more focus points
Continuous Shooting	20.0fps vs 5.0fps	15 fps faster
Weight	250 g vs 635 g	385 g lighter
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 35mm	10 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	100mm vs 35mm	65 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	4x vs 1×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	4.90 vs 16.00	faster lens at tele
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
Focus Bracketing	Yes vs No	Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking	Yes vs No	Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Smartphone Remote Control	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards	UHS-I vs none	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Common Strengths of Leica X-U and Olympus Tough TG-5

Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions

Common Weaknesses of Leica X-U and Olympus Tough TG-5

Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option

Leica X-U vs Olympus TG-5: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5. Olympus TG-5 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 27mm narrower, 13mm shorter and 56mm thinner than Leica X-U.

Here is the back view size comparison of Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5.

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus TG-5 is significantly lighter (385g ) than the Leica X-U which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

X-U

TG-5

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

X-U

TG-5

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Leica X-U sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Olympus TG-5's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to X-U.

Leica X-U vs Olympus TG-5: Sensor Comparison

Leica X-U has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Olympus TG-5 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features TruePic VIII processor.

Below you can see the X-U and TG-5 sensor size comparison.

As seen above, Leica X-U has a 13.2x Larger sensor area than Olympus TG-5. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Leica X-U vs Olympus TG-5 Lens Specs Comparison

Leica X-U features a 35 mm F1.7-16.0 Prime lens whereas Olympus TG-5 features a 25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 4x zoom lens.

It is not easy to compare a prime lens with a zoom lens. Olympus TG-5's zoom lens provides a great flexibility compared to Leica X-U's 35mm fixed focal length lens. On the other hand, X-U's prime lens makes it a specialized camera. You compromise the flexibility of a zoom in order to enjoy the high image quality and unique rendering of this fast lens. On the tele end, Olympus TG-5 has 65mm longer reach than the Leica X-U. At f4.90, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

X-U

TG-5

Widest - Sony ZV-1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

X-U

TG-5

Longest - Panasonic ZS200

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

X-U

TG-5

Fastest - Sony RX1R

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

X-U

TG-5

Fastest - Panasonic LX10

Average

What types of Photography are Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5 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.

Leica X-U for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus TG-5 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Leica X-U for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus TG-5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.70
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Leica X-U for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-5 for Sports Photography

POOR

RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Environmental Sealings
11 Focus Points
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
35 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Leica X-U for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus TG-5 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
635g
Body Thickness 88mm
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
250g
Environmental Sealings
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details

Leica X-U for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-5 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.7 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
35 mm - Poor Wide Angle Coverage
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Leica X-U vs Olympus TG-5: 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 Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5, 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 Leica X-U and Olympus TG-5 scores compare:

Leica X-U

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #44 out of 57 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #438 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-5

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #13 out of 474 in Compact cameras
Ranked #284 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-5 has a higher Overall Score than the Leica X-U. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that TG-5 trails behind the X-U: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Leica X-U. If not, we recommend the Olympus TG-5.

Leica X-U

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Olympus TG-5

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Olympus TG-5 vs Leica X-U Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Leica X-U	Olympus Tough TG-5
Brand	Leica	Olympus
Announced	2016-01-20	2017-05-17
Body Type	Large sensor compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	APS-C	1/2.3"
Dimensions	23.6 x 15.7 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	370.52mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4928 x 3264	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,500 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	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	11	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	35 mm (1×)	25-100 mm (4x)
Max Aperture	F1.7-16.0	F2.0-4.9
Macro Focus Range	n/a	1cm
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	920k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	2.00 m (at ISO 100)	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	5.0 fps	20.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	635g	250g
Dimensions	140 x 79 x 88mm	113 x 66 x 32mm
Battery Life	450 shots	340 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction