Olympus SP-565UZ vs Sony A290

Lets look more closely at the Olympus SP-565UZ and Sony A290, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the SP-565UZ (10MP) and A290 (14MP) and the SP-565UZ (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

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The SP-565UZ was unveiled 17 months earlier than the A290 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-565UZ being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short introduction of how the SP-565UZ grades against the A290 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-565UZ & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-565UZ Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SP-565UZ has got outer dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-565UZ and Sony A290 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the SP-565UZ compared to the A290.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-565UZ and A290 is 72 and 66 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The image underneath may give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-565UZ and A290.

Clearly, both of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SP-565UZ with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A290 will offer greater detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged SP-565UZ is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.