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Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9

Portability
77
Imaging
44
Features
36
Overall
40
Olympus E-420 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX9 front
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
40
Overall
37

Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 Key Specs

Olympus E-420
(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
  • Released June 2008
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-410
Sony TX9
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F3.5-4.6) lens
  • 149g - 98 x 60 x 18mm
  • Launched July 2010
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Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 Overview

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-420 versus Sony TX9, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the TX9 (12MP) is very comparable but the E-420 (Four Thirds) and TX9 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

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The E-420 was brought out 24 months prior to the TX9 making them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony TX9 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-420 matches up versus the TX9 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Sony TX9

 E-420 TX9 

Reasons to pick Sony TX9 over the Olympus E-420

 TX9 E-420 
LaunchedJuly 2010June 2008Fresher by 24 months
Display size3.5"2.7"Larger display (+0.8")
Display resolution922k230kClearer display (+692k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Common features in the Olympus E-420 and Sony TX9

 E-420 TX9 
Manually focus Dial exact focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen

Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-420 has outside dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Sony TX9 has specifications of 98mm x 60mm x 18mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 0.7") with a weight of 149 grams (0.33 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-420 versus Sony TX9 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at the time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 versus the TX9.

Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and TX9 is 77 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it can be tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizing simply by going through technical specs. The photograph underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and TX9.

As you have seen, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-420 because of its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony TX9 will show extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics way more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-420
Portrait photography with Sony TX9
56
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
27
has manual focus
no manual mode
external flash not possible
low resolution sensor (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-420 as a Street photography camera
Sony TX9 as a Street photography camera
64
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
lighter than competitors (426 grams)
screen does not articulate
lack of image stabilization
60
image stabilization (Optical)
includes touch focus
fixed screen
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
more heavy than competitors in class (149 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-420
Sports photography with Sony TX9
38
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has phase detect AF
slow fps (4.0 fps)
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
terrible battery power (500 CIPA)
34
image stabilization (Optical)
comes with tracking focus
no shutter priority
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-420 Travel photography info
Sony TX9 Travel photography info
52
lighter than competitors (426 grams)
built-in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
terrible battery power (500 per charge)
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
60
includes touch focus
flash built-in
rather wide (25mm)
does not have Timelapse function
more heavy than competitors in class (149g)
low resolution sensor (12MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-420 Landscape photography features
Sony TX9 Landscape photography features
47
has manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
terrible battery power (500 shots)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
41
has manual focus
rather wide (25mm)
lovely big screen (3.5 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual mode
low resolution sensor (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
does not have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-420 Vlogging highlights
Sony TX9 Vlogging highlights
9
no video
32
rather wide (25mm)
built-in touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is not selfie friendly
does not have microphone jack
more heavy than competitors in class (149 grams)
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Olympus E-420 vs Sony TX9 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-420 and Sony TX9
 Olympus E-420Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX9
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus E-420 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX9
Class Entry-Level DSLR Ultracompact
Released 2008-06-23 2010-07-08
Body design Compact SLR Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic III Bionz
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution 3648 x 2736 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 1600 3200
Lowest native ISO 100 125
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 3 9
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-100mm (4.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.5-4.6
Macro focusing range - 1cm
Total lenses 45 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 2.7 inches 3.5 inches
Resolution of screen 230k dot 922k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.46x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 2s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1600s
Continuous shooting speed 4.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 3.80 m
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Slow syncro
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/180s -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (50 fps), 1440 x 1080 (50, 25fps), 1280 x 720 (25 fps), 640 x 480 (25 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 426 grams (0.94 lb) 149 grams (0.33 lb)
Physical dimensions 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") 98 x 60 x 18mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 0.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 56 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 21.5 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.4 not tested
DXO Low light rating 527 not tested
Other
Battery life 500 photographs -
Form of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID - NP-BN1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 sec or 10 sec, portrait1/ portrait2)
Time lapse recording
Storage media Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/ SDHC/ SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Pricing at launch $999 $799