Olympus TG-6 vs Canon G15 Comparison

Camera to replace

Change

Olympus TG-6

12 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

CHECK PRICE

Change

Canon G15

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CMOS Sensor

CHECK PRICE

Olympus TG-6 vs Canon G15 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Olympus TG-6, which was introduced in May 2019 is a Waterproof camera with a 12.0MP sensor whereas Canon G15, which was introduced in September 2012 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor. As you can see, G15 is 7 years older than TG-6. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus TG-6 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2019-05-22

12MP - BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800

25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

20.0fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

253g. 113 x 66 x 32 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Olympus Tough TG-5 Compare

Canon G15 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-09-17

12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 12800

28-140 mm F1.8-2.8 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (tunnel) viewfinder

2.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

240fps High-Speed Video

352g. 107 x 76 x 40 mm

Replaced Canon PowerShot G12 Compare

Canon G15 was replaced by Canon PowerShot G16. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon PowerShot G16 vs Canon PowerShot G15
Canon PowerShot G16 vs Olympus Tough TG-6

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Related Blog Posts

Sony FE 100-400 E vs Canon 100-500 RF vs Nikon Z 100-400 vs Canon RF 100-400 Lens Size Comparison
Tamron 17-70 F2.8 vs Fujifilm 16-55 F2.8 vs Fujifilm 16-80 F4 vs Fujifilm 18-55 F2.8-4 Lens Size and Specs Comparison
Todays Deals: Samyang 12mm F2 for $399, Bolt Flashes for $49 and more
Panasonic GH6 Update Brings 4K 120 FPS RAW Recording
Cameras with Stacked Sensors and No Blackout Viewfinders in 2022
Todays Deals: Tripod, Microphone and more
OM System OM-1 is in Stock for the First Time at B&H Photo
New Sony E 10-20mm F4 PZ G vs Sony 16-35mm F4 PZ G Power Zoom Lens Comparison: APS-C is alive!

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Olympus Tough TG-6 over Canon PowerShot G15

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected	Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode	Yes vs No	Excellent help for long-exposure photography
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 9	16 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 922k dots	12% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	20.0fps vs 2.0fps	18 fps faster
Weight	253 g vs 352 g	99 g lighter
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 28mm	3 mm wider coverage
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	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support	UHS-I vs none	Read/Write in High Speeds

CHECK TG-6 PRICE

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot G15 over Olympus Tough TG-6

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs No	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Optical vs None	Better framing and control
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	350 shots vs 340 shots	10 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure	Yes vs No	better exposure control
Focal Length - Tele	140mm vs 100mm	40 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	5× vs 4x	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	1.80 vs 2.00	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	2.80 vs 4.90	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	3.46µm² vs 2.34µm²	47% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Built-in ND Filter	Yes vs No	Use larger aperture under strong light

CHECK G15 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus Tough TG-6 and Canon PowerShot G15

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes

Common Weaknesses of Olympus Tough TG-6 and Canon PowerShot G15

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles

Olympus TG-6 vs Canon G15: 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 Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus TG-6 has external dimensions of 113 x 66 x 32 mm (4.45 x 2.6 x 1.26″) and weighs 253 g (0.56 lb / 8.92 oz) (including batteries). Canon G15 has external dimensions of 107 x 76 x 40 mm (4.21 x 2.99 x 1.57″) and weighs 352 g (0.78 lb / 12.42 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15. Olympus TG-6 is 10mm shorter and 8mm thinner than Canon G15 but it is also 6mm wider.

Comparison image of Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15.

Comparison image of Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15.

Top View Comparison image of Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus TG-6 is significantly lighter (99g ) than the Canon G15 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

TG-6

G15

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

TG-6

G15

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Olympus TG-6 vs Canon G15: Sensor Comparison

Both Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Olympus TG-6's sensor is (1/2. ) and Canon G15's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Canon G15'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 Olympus TG-6.

Below you can see the TG-6 and G15 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 Cameras

As seen above, Canon G15 has a 0.0x Larger sensor area than Olympus TG-6. 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.

Olympus TG-6 vs Canon G15 Lens Specs Comparison

Olympus TG-6 features a 25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 4x zoom lens whereas Canon G15 features a 28-140 mm F1.8-2.8 5× zoom lens.

Olympus TG-6 has 3mm wider coverage than the Canon G15. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Canon G15 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Canon G15 has 40mm longer reach than the Olympus TG-6. At f2.80, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

TG-6

G15

Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

TG-6

G15

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

TG-6

G15

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

TG-6

G15

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Olympus TG-6 and Canon G15 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-6 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Canon G15 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus TG-6 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon G15 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details

Olympus TG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Canon G15 for Sports Photography

POOR

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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Fast Lens at Tele: f2.80
140 mm Tele Lens
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Olympus TG-6 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Canon G15 for Daily Photography

GOOD

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
253g
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
352g
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details

Olympus TG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Canon G15 for Landscape Photography

POOR

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

RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus TG-6 vs Canon G15: 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-6 and Canon G15, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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-6 and Canon G15 scores compare:

Olympus TG-6

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #5 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #285 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Canon G15

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #27 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #409 out of 1243 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-6 has a higher Overall Score than the Canon G15. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that TG-6 trails behind the G15: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Canon G15. If not, we recommend the Olympus TG-6.

Canon G15 vs Olympus TG-6 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Olympus Tough TG-6	Canon PowerShot G15
Brand	Olympus	Canon
Announced	2019-05-22	2012-09-17
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size		1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	1/2.	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	0.00mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	80 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	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-100 mm (4x)	28-140 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	F2.0-4.9	F1.8-2.8
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3.00"	3.00"
Resolution	1,040k dots	922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	Optical (tunnel)
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	n/a	7.00 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/2000s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	20.0 fps	2.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	253g	352g
Dimensions	113 x 66 x 32mm	107 x 76 x 40mm
Battery Life	340 shots	350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	46
DxO Color Depth	not tested	19.9
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	11.5
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	165
	Report a correction	Report a correction