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Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560

Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
26
Overall
31
Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 front
Portability
64
Imaging
54
Features
78
Overall
63

Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 Key Specs

Olympus Tough-3000
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 64 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-102mm (F3.5-5.1) lens
  • 159g - 96 x 65 x 23mm
  • Launched January 2010
  • Alternate Name is mju Tough 3000
Sony A560
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Raise to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 599g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Introduced August 2010
  • Superseded the Sony A500
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Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 Overview

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony A560, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and the A560 (14MP) is relatively well matched but the Tough-3000 (1/2.3") and A560 (APS-C) have totally different sensor size.

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The Tough-3000 was brought out 7 months prior to the A560 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief summation of how the Tough-3000 scores against the A560 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus Tough-3000 over the Sony A560

 Tough-3000 A560 

Reasons to pick Sony A560 over the Olympus Tough-3000

 A560 Tough-3000 
IntroducedAugust 2010January 2010More modern by 7 months
Focus manually More accurate focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen size3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution922k230kClearer screen (+692k dot)

Common features in the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony A560

 Tough-3000 A560 
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Neither includes Touch friendly screen

Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 Physical Comparison

When you are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus Tough-3000 features exterior dimensions of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") along with a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Sony A560 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Look at the Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony A560 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the Tough-3000 versus the A560.

Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the Tough-3000 and A560 is 94 and 64 respectively.

Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 top view buttons comparison

Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it can be hard to see the gap between sensor sizes only by checking specs. The image below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the Tough-3000 and A560.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The Tough-3000 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A560 will give more detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more aged Tough-3000 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 sensor size comparison

Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus Tough-3000 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony A560 as a Portrait photography camera
21
lack of manual focus
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
72
has manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports face detect autofocus
supports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus Tough-3000 Street photography details
Sony A560 Street photography details
62
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment sealing
no moving screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
75
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus Tough-3000
Sports photography with Sony A560
36
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has tracking focus
environment sealing
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
68
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
good battery pack (1,050 shots)
comes with phase detect autofocus
low fps (5.0 fps)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus Tough-3000
Travel photography with Sony A560
61
environment sealing
flash built-in
really wide (28mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
60
good battery pack (1,050 per charge)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
flash built-in
does not have Timelapse recording
does not posses selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus Tough-3000 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A560 as a Landscape photography camera
35
really wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment sealing
lack of manual focus
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
screen is small (2.7")
manual mode not available
megapixel count low (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse function
73
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW files
good battery pack (1,050 per charge)
two card slots
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus Tough-3000 Vlogging highlights
Sony A560 Vlogging highlights
28
really wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
screen isn't selfie friendly
video resolution low (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have mic jack
34
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports face detect autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does have microphone socket
does not posses selfie friendly screen
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Olympus Tough-3000 vs Sony A560 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus Tough-3000 and Sony A560
 Olympus Stylus Tough-3000Sony Alpha DSLR-A560
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 Sony Alpha DSLR-A560
Other name mju Tough 3000 -
Category Waterproof Entry-Level DSLR
Launched 2010-01-07 2010-08-24
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic III Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 3968 x 2976 4592 x 3056
Maximum native ISO 1600 12800
Maximum enhanced ISO - 25600
Lowest native ISO 64 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points - 15
Cross focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 28-102mm (3.6x) -
Highest aperture f/3.5-5.1 -
Macro focus range 2cm -
Available lenses - 143
Crop factor 5.9 1.5
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen diagonal 2.7 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 230 thousand dots 922 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.53x
Features
Min shutter speed 4 seconds 30 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 1.0fps 5.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 4.00 m 12.00 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4 MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 159 gr (0.35 lbs) 599 gr (1.32 lbs)
Physical dimensions 96 x 65 x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 70
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.5
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.3
DXO Low light score not tested 817
Other
Battery life - 1050 photographs
Battery type - Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 seconds) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One Two
Pricing at release $0 $650