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Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290

Portability
94
Imaging
33
Features
21
Overall
28
Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 front
Portability
66
Imaging
54
Features
47
Overall
51

Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 Key Specs

Olympus 6000
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 50 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 28-102mm (F3.5-5.1) lens
  • 179g - 95 x 63 x 22mm
  • Introduced July 2009
  • Other Name is mju Tough 6000
Sony A290
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
  • Released June 2010
  • Superseded the Sony A230
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Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 Overview

Below is a in depth comparison of the Olympus 6000 and Sony A290, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the 6000 (10MP) and A290 (14MP) and the 6000 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The 6000 was released 11 months before the A290 and they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 6000 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a brief summary of how the 6000 scores vs the A290 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus 6000 over the Sony A290

 6000 A290 

Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Olympus 6000

 A290 6000 
ReleasedJune 2010July 2009More recent by 11 months
Focus manually Very precise focusing

Common features in the Olympus 6000 and Sony A290

 6000 A290 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display size2.7"2.7"Same display dimensions
Display resolution230k230kIdentical display resolution
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch friendly display No Touch friendly display

Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison

For those who are planning to lug around your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus 6000 enjoys external measurements of 95mm x 63mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.5" x 0.9") with a weight of 179 grams (0.39 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Compare the Olympus 6000 and Sony A290 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the 6000 compared to the A290.

Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 6000 and A290 is 94 and 66 respectively.

Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 top view buttons comparison

Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison

Normally, its tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements just by reading a spec sheet. The visual here will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the 6000 and A290.

Clearly, the two cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 6000 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony A290 will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older 6000 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 sensor size comparison

Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus 6000 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony A290 as a Portrait photography camera
19
manual focus not available
no manual control
no external flash support
low resolution (10 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
65
has manual focus
good MP (14 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
has face detection focusing
supports RAW files
doesn't have liveview
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Street Comparison

Olympus 6000 Street photography details
Sony A290 Street photography details
61
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
no moving screen
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
66
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
screen is fixed
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Sports Comparison

Olympus 6000 as a Sports photography camera
Sony A290 as a Sports photography camera
33
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
no shutter priority
low resolution (10 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
has no phase detect auto focus
55
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (14MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
comes with phase detect AF
doesn't have liveview
continuous shooting slow (3.0 frames per second)
not so great battery pack (290 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus 6000 as a Travel photography camera
Sony A290 as a Travel photography camera
61
weather proof
has built in flash
decently wide (28mm)
no Time Lapse function
low resolution (10MP)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
53
good MP (14MP)
built-in flash
lack of Timelapse mode
not so great battery pack (290 CIPA)
display isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus 6000 Landscape photography features
Sony A290 Landscape photography features
35
decently wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather proof
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
screen is small (2.7 inches)
no manual control
low resolution (10 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
no Time Lapse function
58
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good MP (14 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
small screen (2.7")
doesn't have liveview
not so great battery pack (290 per charge)
lack of Timelapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus 6000 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A290 as a Vlogging camera
28
decently wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
video quality not great (640 x 480 pixels)
no external mic socket
9
can't shoot video
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Olympus 6000 vs Sony A290 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus 6000 and Sony A290
 Olympus Stylus Tough 6000Sony Alpha DSLR-A290
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 Sony Alpha DSLR-A290
Other name mju Tough 6000 -
Type Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Introduced 2009-07-01 2010-06-09
Body design Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 16:9, 4:3 and 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 3648 x 2736 4592 x 3056
Highest native ISO 1600 3200
Minimum native ISO 50 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 28-102mm (3.6x) -
Maximal aperture f/3.5-5.1 -
Macro focus distance 2cm -
Amount of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 2.7 inches 2.7 inches
Display resolution 230 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Min shutter speed 1/4 seconds 30 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed - 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 4.00 m 10.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash modes Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Off, On Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) -
Highest video resolution 640x480 None
Video file format Motion JPEG -
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 179 gr (0.39 lbs) 549 gr (1.21 lbs)
Physical dimensions 95 x 63 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.5" x 0.9") 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 66
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.6
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 11.5
DXO Low light score not tested 615
Other
Battery life - 290 images
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-FH50
Self timer Yes (12 seconds) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media xD Picture Card, microSD Card, Internal Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC
Storage slots One One
Retail cost $259 $600