Olympus 7040 vs Sony A230

Below, we will be matching up the Olympus 7040 vs Sony A230, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the 7040 (14MP) and A230 (10MP) and the 7040 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The 7040 was introduced 8 months after the A230 and they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 7040 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a short introduction of how the 7040 grades versus the A230 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 7040 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus 7040 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 7040 offers outside measurements of 95mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 144 grams (0.32 lbs) while the Sony A230 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 7040 vs Sony A230 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the 7040 and the A230.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the 7040 and A230 is 95 and 69 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to envision the difference in sensor dimensions only by checking out a spec sheet. The pic below will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the 7040 and A230.

Clearly, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The 7040 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus 7040 will provide extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more modern 7040 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.