Olympus SP-800 UZ vs Sony TX10: An Expert Comparative Review for Enthusiasts and Professionals

Choosing the right camera can feel daunting, especially when options as diverse as the Olympus SP-800 UZ and Sony Cyber-shot TX10 stand side-by-side. Both target the compact photography market but serve vastly different needs. In this comprehensive comparison, we'll dive into the technical details, real-world performance, and specific photographic disciplines to help you pinpoint which model best fits your creative aspirations.

Drawing from thousands of hours of hands-on testing, this article places these two distinct compact cameras under the microscope, examining strengths, weaknesses, and practical considerations. Whether you focus on portraits, landscapes, or travel adventures, we’ll unpack how each camera performs across various genres - illustrating our findings with side-by-side comparisons and sample images.

Let’s get started by understanding what these cameras bring to the table.

First Impressions: Design, Size, and Handling

Before plunging into specifications, how a camera feels in your hands is critical. Ergonomics influence shooting comfort, speed of access to controls, and overall enjoyment.

The Olympus SP-800 UZ is a beastier compact with a hefty zoom lens, designed more like a bridge camera. It feels substantial and offers a comfortable grip suitable for longer sessions, especially helpful when using the long telephoto reach.

In contrast, the Sony TX10 is impressively pocket-friendly. Its ultra-compact, slim profile fits easily into a jacket or bag pocket. The minimalist button arrangement and responsive touchscreen cater to casual shooting on the fly.

If you favor a camera you can swiftly carry everywhere, Sony’s TX10 wins in portability hands-down. However, if you want better manual handling or extended zoom, Olympus's SP-800 UZ offers more control and stability.

Control Layout and Interface: How Intuitive Is the Operation?

Smooth navigation and tactile feedback play crucial roles in your shooting workflow, especially if you want quick access to settings without fumbling through menus.

Here’s how their top plate and controls compare:

• Olympus SP-800 UZ sports a traditional zoom ring around the lens, a comprehensive mode dial, and multiple buttons. This approach closely resembles DSLR ergonomics, beneficial if you're accustomed to manual control.
• Sony TX10, with fewer physical buttons, relies largely on its 3-inch touchscreen - a high-resolution “XtraFine LCD” - for most setting adjustments. This makes it more user-friendly for beginners but potentially slower to operate for some when manual tweaks are needed.

The Olympus provides direct access to zoom and quick mode shifts, while the Sony’s touchscreen adds versatility but demands you’re comfortable with soft controls.

Sensor and Image Quality: CCD vs BSI-CMOS

Ultimately, image quality is king, and the sensor lies at the heart of that.

The Sony TX10’s back-illuminated CMOS sensor provides two notable advantages over the Olympus’s CCD chip:

• Better low-light performance: The BSI structure improves light gathering at the pixel level, reducing noise and enhancing detail in dim environments.
• Faster readout speeds: This supports higher video frame rates and quicker autofocus operation.

While both cameras share the same physical sensor size - common for supercompact models - the Sony’s newer sensor technology yields cleaner images and improved dynamic range, especially beneficial when shooting challenging lighting, such as indoor events or night scenes.

However, the Olympus, despite using an older CCD sensor, benefits from its TruePic III image processor, delivering respectable colors and contrast, plus a slight edge in saturation tunability. Still, in pixel-peeping tests and high ISO performance, the Sony pulls ahead.

Display and Viewfinding: Shooting with Confidence

Both models lack electronic viewfinders, so their rear screens are crucial for composing shots.

Here, the Sony TX10 outshines the Olympus dramatically:

• The Sony’s 921k-dot XtraFine LCD provides crisp detail for accurate focus checking.
• Its touchscreen interface enables touching to focus, tap-to-shoot, and swift menu navigation.
• The Olympus SP-800 UZ, with its lower resolution LCD, offers limited detail verification and no touch controls, which can feel dated.

Given these factors, for street, travel, or casual photography where quick framing on a bright day matters, the Sony’s display usability is superior.

Zoom and Lens Capabilities: Telephoto Range vs Portability

One key difference is the zoom range and lens aperture.

The Olympus SP-800 UZ offers an impressive 30x superzoom (28–840mm equivalent), making it an ideal do-it-all camera for wildlife, sports, or distant landscape details. This zoom flexibility is remarkable for a compact and is augmented by sensor-shift stabilization that helps tame shake at telephoto lengths.

Conversely, the Sony TX10’s 4x zoom (25–100mm) is modest but sufficient for everyday shooting. Its compact lens means the camera stays pocketable, crucial for travel and street shooters prioritizing discretion.

If you regularly photograph distant subjects like birds or action sports, the Olympus is a clear winner for zoom. If you are shooting mostly wide to short telephoto images and want a camera you can carry anywhere, the Sony fits that bill better.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed: Tracking and Accuracy

Autofocus capability dictates your success in capturing sharp moments, particularly in wildlife or sports shooting.

Neither camera offers phase-detection AF, so all focusing leverages contrast-detection, which is less speedy but accurate for still subjects.

The Olympus’s 143 focus points and tracking mode provide improved ability to follow moving subjects, beneficial in wildlife or sports scenarios - especially with its long lens.

The Sony TX10 has only 9 AF points and lacks tracking but compensates with touch-to-focus, making it easy to snap quick portraits or street shots.

In practice, the Olympus feels more capable when precision tracking is needed but slower in achieving focus. The Sony is more agile for casual shooting and frame-and-shoot scenarios.

Image Stabilization: How Steady Are Your Shots?

Both cameras have built-in image stabilization but via different methods:

• Olympus uses sensor-shift stabilization, physically moving the sensor to compensate for shake. This tends to be very effective at minimizing blur across all focal lengths.
• Sony employs optical steady shot that shifts elements inside the lens.

Both systems perform well for their classes, but sensor-shift sometimes yields marginally better results at extreme telephoto lengths, giving Olympus a slight advantage for handheld wildlife or sports photography.

Video Recording: Resolution and Features

Video is an increasingly important feature for content creators.

The Sony TX10 clearly outperforms Olympus in video, offering Full HD 1080p at 60fps, excellent for smooth, high-quality footage. The Olympus caps out at 720p, adequate for casual clips but not ideal for serious video.

Neither camera features external microphone connectivity, limiting audio recording quality for vloggers or professionals.

If video capabilities factor strongly in your decision, Sony is the stronger choice.

Durability and Environmental Sealing: Ready for Adventure?

If you shoot outdoors or travel in demanding conditions, build quality and resistance are critical.

The Sony TX10 is built tough, with extensive environmental sealing making it waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, and freezeproof. This expands your shooting possibilities significantly.

The Olympus SP-800 UZ lacks any weather protection, requiring more cautious handling in rough conditions.

For active photographers who want to take their camera on hikes, beaches, or snow trips without worry, the Sony’s ruggedness is a decisive advantage.

Battery Life and Storage: Shooting Duration and Convenience

Both cameras use proprietary rechargeable lithium-ion batteries:

Though official battery life estimates vary, the Sony generally lasts longer between charges. Plus, its compatibility with multiple storage cards gives flexibility.

Connectivity: Sharing and Transfer Options

Wireless features have grown essential for instant sharing and remote control.

Neither camera includes built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. However, the Sony supports Eye-Fi compatible cards, enabling some wireless image transfer.

While limited by today’s standards, these cameras still rely mainly on physical USB and HDMI outputs for data transfer.

Price-to-Performance: Value Assessment

The Olympus SP-800 UZ offers excellent telephoto reach for budget-conscious buyers needing a versatile zoom. The Sony TX10 commands a slightly higher price but offers modern sensor tech, weatherproofing, and better video.

Sample Images: Real-World Photo Comparison

Let’s examine images shot under similar conditions with both cameras to visualize these differences.

Olympus SP 800 UZ front Olympus SP 800 UZ screen back Sony TX10 front Sony TX10 screen back

• Olympus SP-800 UZ: Colors appear rich; telephoto shots retain detail but exhibit slight softness at max zoom.
• Sony TX10: Images are crisp, especially wide open; low-light shots handle noise better; video frames show smooth motion.

Performance Ratings at a Glance

Based on comprehensive testing metrics evaluating key parameters:

• Olympus SP-800 UZ scores highly on zoom and stabilization.
• Sony TX10 excels in sensor quality, durability, and video.

Suitability for Photography Types

We rated each camera’s suitability per genre using a weighted score based on features and firsthand experience.

• Portraits: Sony’s sensor and touch AF edge out Olympus.
• Landscape: Both effective; Olympus benefits from zoom, Sony from image quality.
• Wildlife: Olympus wins due to zoom and tracking AF.
• Sports: Olympus favored for burst and zoom.
• Street: Sony preferred for size and discreet operation.
• Macro: Both similar; 1cm macro focus for detailed shots.
• Night/Astro: Sony’s BSI sensor handles low light better.
• Video: Sony dominates with Full HD 60fps.
• Travel: Sony favored for portability and weather sealing.
• Professional Work: Limited for both; neither supports RAW; Sony’s better sensor is advantageous.

Recommendations: Which Camera Fits Your Needs?

Choose the Olympus SP-800 UZ if:

• You need superzoom flexibility (up to 840mm) for wildlife or sports.
• You prefer a bridge-style camera with dedicated zoom and mode rings.
• Stabilization effectiveness at long focal lengths is important.
• You shoot primarily still images with moderate video needs.
• You don’t require weather resistance.

Choose the Sony Cyber-shot TX10 if:

• You want a pocketable, rugged camera to take anywhere worry-free.
• Superior image quality and video capabilities at Full HD 60fps matter.
• You prioritize touchscreen operation for quick focusing.
• You shoot in low light or night environments frequently.
• Environmental sealing (waterproof, freezeproof) is a must-have.
• You want faster, smoother shooting in street or travel photography.

Final Thoughts: Two Compacts Tailored to Different Lifestyles

Neither the Olympus SP-800 UZ nor Sony TX10 is perfect for every user, but each excels in specific roles.

• The Olympus is a versatile superzoom workhorse, great for photographers who want reach and stability without DSLR bulk but can compromise on sensor age and ruggedness.
• The Sony TX10 is a sophisticated ultracompact adventure companion, offering robust durability, excellent image quality, and user-friendly touch controls for casual shooters, travelers, and those valuing convenience and build quality.

If possible, we highly recommend trying both cameras in your shooting environment to feel firsthand which best fits your style and grip preferences. Alongside these cameras, consider investing in fast memory cards, lens accessories (where applicable), and spare batteries to maximize your shooting experience.

No matter which you pick, both cameras provide a gateway into the exciting world of creative photography with unique benefits tailored to different shooting scenarios. Happy shooting, and may your photographic journey be rewarding!