Olympus SP-800 UZ vs Sony A390

The following is a detailed analysis of the Olympus SP-800 UZ versus Sony A390, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SP-800 UZ (14MP) and the A390 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the SP-800 UZ (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The SP-800 UZ was released 5 months prior to the A390 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-800 UZ being a Compact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a simple view of how the SP-800 UZ scores against the A390 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SP-800 UZ and Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-800 UZ Gallery and Sony A390 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-800 UZ provides outer dimensions of 110mm x 90mm x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 455 grams (1.00 lbs) while the Sony A390 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Olympus SP-800 UZ versus Sony A390 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the SP-800 UZ versus the A390.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SP-800 UZ and A390 is 69 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions only by going through technical specs. The picture here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-800 UZ and A390.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have the same megapixel count albeit different sensor dimensions. The SP-800 UZ offers the smaller sensor which is going to make getting shallow DOF more difficult.