Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Sony A290

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony A290, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SP-590 UZ was launched 17 months before the A290 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the SP-590 UZ scores against the A290 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera, you need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SP-590 UZ comes with external 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) while the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony A290 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the SP-590 UZ and the A290.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the SP-590 UZ and A290 is 72 and 66 respectively.

Often, it can be difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing purely by seeing technical specs. The photograph here will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-590 UZ and A290.

As you have seen, both of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SP-590 UZ due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A290 will show extra detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.