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Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860

Portability
92
Imaging
38
Features
23
Overall
32
Canon PowerShot SD990 IS front
 
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 front
Portability
91
Imaging
41
Features
42
Overall
41

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 Key Specs

Canon SD990 IS
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 36-133mm (F2.8-5.8) lens
  • 205g - 98 x 62 x 28mm
  • Launched September 2008
  • Alternate Name is Digital IXUS 980 IS
Olympus TG-860
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
  • 224g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
  • Revealed February 2015
  • Successor is Olympus TG-870
Photography Glossary

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 Overview

Let's examine more in depth at the Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Waterproof by brands Canon and Olympus. The sensor resolution of the SD990 IS (15MP) and the TG-860 (16MP) is pretty comparable but the SD990 IS (1/1.7") and TG-860 (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizes.

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The SD990 IS was introduced 7 years prior to the TG-860 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with the identical body type (Ultracompact).

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the SD990 IS grades against the TG-860 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Canon SD990 IS over the Olympus TG-860

 SD990 IS TG-860 

Reasons to pick Olympus TG-860 over the Canon SD990 IS

 TG-860 SD990 IS 
RevealedFebruary 2015September 2008Newer by 77 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimension3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution460k230kSharper screen (+230k dot)

Common features in the Canon SD990 IS and Olympus TG-860

 SD990 IS TG-860 
Manual focus No manual focus
Selfie screen Neither features selfie screen
Touch screen Lack of Touch screen

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 Physical Comparison

For those who are planning to travel with your camera often, you will have to consider its weight and measurements. The Canon SD990 IS enjoys external dimensions of 98mm x 62mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Olympus TG-860 has proportions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs).

Examine the Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the SD990 IS compared to the TG-860.

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SD990 IS and TG-860 is 92 and 91 respectively.

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 top view buttons comparison

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, its tough to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions purely by checking out technical specs. The picture here should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SD990 IS and TG-860.

As you can tell, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SD990 IS having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus TG-860 will provide extra detail using its extra 1MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged SD990 IS will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 sensor size comparison

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon SD990 IS Portrait photography information
Olympus TG-860 Portrait photography information
37
above average flash sync (1/500 seconds)
MP count good (15 megapixels)
provides face detect focusing
no manual focus
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
small sensor size (1/1.7")
lacks RAW format
36
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
supports face detection focusing
manual focus not available
manual exposure not possible
can't use external flash
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Canon SD990 IS Street photography factors
Olympus TG-860 Street photography factors
54
built in image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
small sensor size (1/1.7")
lacks RAW format
more heavy than others (205g)
69
tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
weather sealing
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Canon SD990 IS as a Sports photography camera
Olympus TG-860 as a Sports photography camera
35
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (15MP)
slow fps (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
small sensor size (1/1.7")
lacks phase detect AF
49
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16MP)
supports tracking autofocus
weather sealing
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Canon SD990 IS as a Travel photography camera
Olympus TG-860 as a Travel photography camera
57
MP count good (15MP)
has built in flash
more heavy than others (205g)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (36mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
71
weather sealing
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
rather wide (21mm)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon SD990 IS Landscape photography features
Olympus TG-860 Landscape photography features
34
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (15MP)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (36mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.5 inch)
manual exposure not possible
small sensor size (1/1.7")
lacks RAW format
48
rather wide (21mm)
decent sized screen (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
weather sealing
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
manual exposure not possible
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon SD990 IS Vlogging info
Olympus TG-860 Vlogging info
27
built in image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detect focusing
wide angle not the best (36mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
display is not selfie friendly
low video resolution (640 x 480 pixels)
doesn't have microphone port
more heavy than others (205g)
33
rather wide (21mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detection focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
screen is not selfie friendly
no external mic jack
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Canon SD990 IS vs Olympus TG-860 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon SD990 IS and Olympus TG-860
 Canon PowerShot SD990 ISOlympus Stylus Tough TG-860
General Information
Manufacturer Canon Olympus
Model type Canon PowerShot SD990 IS Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860
Also referred to as Digital IXUS 980 IS -
Class Ultracompact Waterproof
Launched 2008-09-17 2015-02-06
Body design Ultracompact Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Chip - TruePic VII
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/1.7" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 7.44 x 5.58mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 41.5mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 15MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4416 x 3312 4608 x 3456
Max native ISO 1600 6400
Min native ISO 80 125
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 36-133mm (3.7x) 21-105mm (5.0x)
Maximal aperture f/2.8-5.8 f/3.5-5.7
Macro focusing distance 5cm 1cm
Crop factor 4.8 5.8
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen size 2.5 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 230k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (tunnel) None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 15 secs 4 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/1600 secs 1/2000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 1.0fps 7.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 4.60 m 4.00 m (at ISO 1600)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Slow, Manual (Red Eye On/Off) Auto, redeye reduction, fill flash, off, LED illuminator
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/500 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps), 160 x 120 (15 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (60p)
Max video resolution 640x480 1920x1080
Video file format Motion JPEG H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None Yes
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 205 gr (0.45 lb) 224 gr (0.49 lb)
Dimensions 98 x 62 x 28mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life - 300 photos
Battery format - Battery Pack
Battery ID NB-5L Li-50B
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, custom)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/SDHC/MMC card SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots One One
Price at launch - $279