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Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7

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Camera to replace
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Olympus TG-5

12 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

Olympus TG-5
$399.00
or
BUY
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Olympus E-PL7

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-PL7
$499.00
or
BUY
Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Olympus cameras cameras with different body types: Olympus TG-5, which was introduced in May 2017 is a Waterproof camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3" sensor whereas Olympus E-PL7, which was introduced in September 2014 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus E-PL7 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

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 E-PL7 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-09-01
  • 16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Tilting Screen
  • 8 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 357g. 115 x 67 x 38 mm
  • Replaced Olympus PEN E-PL6 Compare

Olympus E-PL7 was replaced by Olympus PEN E-PL7. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Olympus PEN E-PL7 vs Olympus PEN E-PL7
Olympus PEN E-PL7 vs Olympus Tough TG-5

Reasons to choose Olympus Tough TG-5 over Olympus PEN E-PL7
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting 20.0fps vs 8.0fps 12 fps faster
Weight 250 g vs 357 g 107 g lighter
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Price $399 vs $499 $100 cheaper
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
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Reasons to choose Olympus PEN E-PL7 over Olympus Tough TG-5
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution 16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO 25.600 vs 12.800 100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 81 vs 25 56 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution 1.037k dots vs 460k dots 125% higher resolution screen
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000s vs 1/2000s faster shutter speed
Battery Life 350 shots vs 340 shots 10 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure Yes vs No better exposure control
Sensor Pixel Area 14.12µm2 vs 2.34µm2 503% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Common Strengths of Olympus Tough TG-5 and Olympus PEN E-PL7
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting 20.0fps vs 8.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Olympus Tough TG-5 and Olympus PEN E-PL7
Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus E-PL7. Olympus TG-5 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 2mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Olympus E-PL7. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Olympus TG-5 has a built-in lens but Olympus E-PL7 doesn't. Once you put a lens on E-PL7, its thickness will increase significantly.

Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus E-PL7.
Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7 Detailed Size Comparison

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 (107g ) than the Olympus E-PL7 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on E-PL7, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7: Sensor Comparison

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. On the other hand, Olympus E-PL7 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic VII processor.

Below you can see the TG-5 and E-PL7 sensor size comparison.

Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7 Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Olympus E-PL7 has a 8.0x 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.

What types of Photography are Olympus TG-5 and Olympus E-PL7 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus TG-5 and Olympus E-PL7 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-5 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PL7 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus E-PL7 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
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
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Optional External Viewfinder
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus E-PL7 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
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
Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
81 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus E-PL7 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
250g
4X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
357g
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus E-PL7 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details


Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus E-PL7: 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-5 and Olympus E-PL7, 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-5 and Olympus E-PL7 scores compare:

Olympus TG-5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #12 out of 470 in Compact cameras
Ranked #264 out of 1168 in all Cameras
Olympus E-PL7
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #22 out of 119 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #142 out of 1168 in all Cameras

Olympus E-PL7 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus TG-5 in all criterias except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Olympus TG-5. Otherwise, Olympus E-PL7 is the better camera overall.

Olympus TG-5
Olympus TG-5
$399.00

Olympus E-PL7
Olympus E-PL7
$499.00

Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus TG-5 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus Tough TG-5 Olympus PEN E-PL7
Brand Olympus Olympus
Announced 2017-05-17 2014-09-01
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Price $399.00 $499.00
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3" Four Thirds
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 17.3 x 13 mm
Area 28.07mm2 224.90mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 25,600 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 25 81
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses n/a 98
Lens Focal Range 25-100 mm (4x) no lens
Max Aperture F2.0-4.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3″ 3″
Resolution 460k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic (optional)
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps 8.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 H.264, Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 250g 357g
Dimensions 113 x 66 x 32mm 115 x 67 x 38mm
Battery Life 340 shots 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 72
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.7
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 873
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