Olympus E-420 vs Sony A380
77 Imaging
44 Features
36 Overall
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68 Imaging
53 Features
54 Overall
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Olympus E-420 vs Sony A380 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 426g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
- Launched June 2008
- Succeeded the Olympus E-410
(Full Review)
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-420 vs Sony A380 Overview
On this page, we will be comparing the Olympus E-420 versus Sony A380, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and A380 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and A380 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe E-420 was brought out 14 months prior to the A380 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both of these cameras have the same body design (Compact SLR).
Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-420 scores versus the A380 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Sony A380 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Sony A380
| E-420 | A380 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony A380 over the Olympus E-420
| A380 | E-420 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | August 2009 | June 2008 | More modern by 14 months | |
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Common features in the Olympus E-420 and Sony A380
| E-420 | A380 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Dial exact focusing | |||
| Screen dimensions | 2.7" | 2.7" | Equal screen measurement | |
| Screen resolution | 230k | 230k | Identical screen resolution | |
| Selfie screen | Neither comes with selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Missing Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-420 vs Sony A380 Physical Comparison
If you are going to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-420 comes with physical dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Sony A380 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).
See the Olympus E-420 versus Sony A380 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the E-420 compared to the A380.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and A380 is 77 and 68 respectively.
Olympus E-420 vs Sony A380 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes merely by researching a spec sheet. The pic below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and A380.
Clearly, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-420 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Sony A380 will result in more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.
Olympus E-420 vs Sony A380 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-420 vs Sony A380 Specifications
| Olympus E-420 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus E-420 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 |
| Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Launched | 2008-06-23 | 2009-08-24 |
| Body design | Compact SLR | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePic III | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 372.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10MP | 14MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Max native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 3 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Number of lenses | 45 | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Screen diagonal | 2.7" | 2.7" |
| Resolution of screen | 230k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | 0.49x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shooting speed | 4.0 frames per second | 3.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash range | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash sync | 1/180 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Max video resolution | None | None |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 426 grams (0.94 lbs) | 519 grams (1.14 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") | 128 x 97 x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 56 | 67 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.5 | 22.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.4 | 11.8 |
| DXO Low light score | 527 | 614 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 500 images | 500 images |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Launch cost | $999 | $899 |