Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Sony A57

Here, we will be matching up the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony A57, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

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The SP-590 UZ was announced 4 years earlier than the A57 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the SP-590 UZ scores versus the A57 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus SP-590 UZ comes with exterior dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") having a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has proportions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") along with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony A57 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the SP-590 UZ and the A57.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SP-590 UZ and A57 is 72 and 64 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing specs. The graphic here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-590 UZ and A57.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SP-590 UZ with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A57 will provide you with greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ will be behind in sensor tech.