Olympus SP-820UZ vs Sony A580

Below is a in depth review of the Olympus SP-820UZ and Sony A580, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SP-820UZ (14MP) and the A580 (16MP) is relatively comparable but the SP-820UZ (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The SP-820UZ was announced 16 months later than the A580 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-820UZ being a Compact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the SP-820UZ grades vs the A580 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ and Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery and Sony A580 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-820UZ has physical measurements of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") with a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs) whilst the Sony A580 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-820UZ and Sony A580 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the SP-820UZ against the A580.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-820UZ and A580 is 69 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-820UZ and A580.

Clearly, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SP-820UZ using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A580 will show greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively. The more modern SP-820UZ will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.