Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A290

Let's look closer at the Olympus Tough-3000 versus Sony A290, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is pretty similar but the Tough-3000 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The Tough-3000 was brought out 5 months earlier than the A290 and they are both of a similar generation. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief view of how the Tough-3000 grades versus the A290 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus Tough-3000 enjoys physical dimensions of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") and a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Examine the Olympus Tough-3000 versus Sony A290 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have during that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the Tough-3000 and the A290.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the Tough-3000 and A290 is 94 and 66 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to envision the difference between sensor measurements just by reviewing specs. The graphic below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the Tough-3000 and A290.

All in all, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The Tough-3000 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A290 will offer you more detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively.