Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Olympus TG-870

The following is a complete review of the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Olympus TG-870, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Ultracompact and they are both built by Olympus. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and TG-870 (16MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The SP-590 UZ was manufactured 8 years earlier than the TG-870 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the SP-590 UZ matches up vs the TG-870 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Olympus TG-870 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera, you should consider its weight and size. The Olympus SP-590 UZ comes with outer dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") along with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Olympus TG-870 has specifications of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") having a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Olympus TG-870 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the SP-590 UZ compared to the TG-870.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and TG-870 is 72 and 91 respectively.

Generally, its hard to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reading specs. The image underneath will help give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-590 UZ and TG-870.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Olympus TG-870 to deliver more detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged SP-590 UZ is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.