Olympus Stylus Tough 6010 vs Sony Alpha A390: A Detailed Comparison from My Lens

In my fifteen years testing digital cameras - from rugged compacts to professional DSLRs - I’ve seen how camera performance, design, and functionality shape photographic possibilities. Today, I’m diving deep into two very different cameras: the Olympus Stylus Tough 6010, a rugged waterproof compact, and the Sony Alpha A390, an entry-level DSLR designed for enthusiasts stepping up their game. Both come from reputable brands but target vastly different users and shooting scenarios.

In this first-hand, detailed comparison, I will unpack how each fares across major photography categories, technical specs, ergonomics, real-world performance, and overall value. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of who each camera suits best based on your photography needs.

First Impressions and Handling: Size, Ergonomics, and Controls

Let me start by placing these two cameras side-by-side. The Olympus 6010 is a marvel of durability and compactness, designed to brave tough environments. Contrastingly, the Sony A390 is a traditional DSLR with a bulkier grip, offering robust manual control and a large lens ecosystem.

The Olympus 6010 feels solid yet pocketable at just 179 grams and 95x63x22 mm dimensions. It’s clearly built for travel, adventure, and spontaneous shooting where you can’t baby your gear. The rubberized body and weather sealing give confidence around water, drops, and freezing temperatures.

The Sony A390 weighs substantially more at 549 grams and measures 128x97x86 mm, reflecting its DSLR pedigree. The deep grip and heft deliver a steady feel - ideal for extended handheld shooting. However, its bulk means it’s less discreet and requires a dedicated camera bag.

Looking at the top controls:

The Olympus opts for simplicity: basic mode dials and buttons optimized for waterproof use, with no manual exposure options. The Sony, in contrast, features customizable buttons, dedicated dials for aperture/shutter priority, and a flasher hot shoe - real tools for creative photography.

Based on my experience, the Olympus is great for casual shooting or outdoor adventures when you want a rugged, no-frills option. The Sony targets enthusiasts ready to learn manual controls and invest in lenses.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Camera

Sensor technology profoundly shapes image quality and versatility. Here’s how these two compare:

The Olympus 6010 uses a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor - a basic, small sensor common to compact cameras of its era. It offers 12MP resolution (3968x2976 pixels), a decent pixel count, but limited dynamic range and noise performance, especially beyond ISO 400. The small sensor size and an antialias filter are a compromise favoring ruggedness and affordability.

The Sony A390 sports a much larger APS-C sized CCD sensor (23.5 x 15.7 mm) with 14MP native resolution (4592x3056). This sensor size - more than 13 times the surface area of the Olympus sensor - means superior image quality: better dynamic range, color depth, and especially low-light performance. Sony’s Bionz processor also helps optimize noise reduction and image processing.

My hands-on testing showed the Sony produces crisp, detailed images with rich colors and white balance flexibility, easily outclassing the Olympus in image fidelity. The Olympus can produce acceptable snapshots in bright daylight but struggles with noise and color accuracy indoors or in shadows.

LCD Screens and User Interface: Your Window and Control Hub

When reviewing cameras, the rear screen quality and interface responsiveness heavily influence shooting experience. Here’s what I found:

Both cameras have fixed 2.7-inch LCDs with 230K-dot resolution - standard for their period but fairly low by today’s standards. The Olympus screen is fixed and non-touch, designed for durability outdoors rather than high resolution or color accuracy. The Sony features a tilting screen, making it easier to compose shots from creative angles, although it also lacks touchscreen features.

Sony’s interface is more sophisticated, offering manual exposure menus, customizable settings, and raw file access. Olympus keeps things straightforward with no manual modes or raw shooting - perfect for beginners or those who want fully automatic simplicity.

Real-World Photography Performance Across Genres

This next section will guide you through how these cameras perform across a variety of shooting styles. After all, specs only tell half the story - real use is the true test.

Portrait Photography: Rendering Skin and Bokeh

For portraits, I look at skin tone reproduction, smooth background blur, and autofocus accuracy on eyes.

• Olympus 6010: The fixed 28-102mm equivalent zoom offers decent focal lengths for casual portraits, but the small sensor limits background separation - bokeh is weak and busy. Color reproduction is average, with skin tones appearing slightly flat or overexposed in challenging lighting. Autofocus is basic contrast-detection only, with no eye tracking, making it tricky to nail precise focus on eyes. The 2 cm macro focus can help for close-ups of faces but doesn’t add shallow depth of field.

• Sony A390: Using dedicated portrait lenses from Sony’s extensive Alpha range unlocks excellent bokeh and subject isolation. The larger sensor provides natural-looking skin tones with better dynamic range and color fidelity. Sony’s 9-point phase-detect autofocus offers much faster, more accurate focus lock on faces and eyes, especially when paired with lenses with wide apertures (e.g., f/1.8 primes). Manual focus is fully supported for creative control.

In practice, for portraits I’d always pick the Sony A390, especially for indoor or studio work. The Olympus is fine for casual outdoor environmental portraits but will never deliver pro-level results.

Landscape Photography: Resolution and Durability

Landscape work benefits from high resolution, dynamic range, and weather resistance to adapt to variable conditions.

• Olympus 6010: While the 12MP sensor captures decent detail, the smaller sensor struggles with dynamic range, making high-contrast scenes with bright skies and shadows tricky. It is waterproof and freezeproof, working well in rain or snowy hikes. The fixed zoom is moderate for wide views but not ultra-wide. I’ve taken it on mountain treks where durability was a huge plus.

• Sony A390: Its APS-C sensor delivers superior image detail and higher dynamic range (11.5 EV vs unknown/low on the Olympus). Combined with high-quality landscape lenses - even with ultra-wide zooms - it captures breathtaking vistas with rich tonality. However, it’s not weather-sealed, so you must protect it in harsh environments.

For rugged landscape adventures where conditions are wet or rough, Olympus is a solid lightweight companion. For serious landscape photographers valuing image quality, the Sony A390 with a sturdy tripod and weather protection is preferable.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Autofocus and Burst Capabilities

Speed and accuracy matter in fast-action shooting.

• Olympus 6010: The camera has single contrast-detection autofocus only, slow and prone to hunting under movement or low light. No continuous autofocus, no burst shooting capability, and no dedicated focus tracking. These limitations make it unsuitable for birds in flight or sports events.

• Sony A390: Represents a big step up with 9 autofocus points and phase-detection AF sensor. It supports continuous AF at 3 fps shooting - decent for start-in-DSLR sports or casual wildlife. Lens selection means telephoto zooms with image stabilization are available. The better battery and grip make extended shooting sessions more manageable.

In my field tests photographing birds and soccer games, I found the Sony significantly outperforms the Olympus in focus speed and ability to track subjects. The Olympus can only capture slow-moving or static subjects.

Street Photography: Discretion and Agility

Street photographers value portability, quiet operation, and quick autofocus.

• Olympus 6010: Its small size, silent sensor-shift stabilization, and rugged build suit street use well. It is discreet and easy to carry constantly. However, limited manual control and zoom range restrict creative framing.

• Sony A390: Larger and more conspicuous, the DSLR attracts attention and requires a bag. Mechanical shutter and mirror noise can disturb candid moments. But manual settings and lens swaps provide creative freedom.

If subtlety and spontaneity are your style, Olympus 6010 can fit the bill. If you prefer fully controlling exposure and focus to craft precise images, the Sony is better.

Macro Photography: Focus Precision and Magnification

Close-up work demands sharp, accurate focus and magnification.

• Olympus 6010: Macro focusing to 2 cm allows really tight close-ups, great for flowers or insects, though image quality is limited by sensor size.

• Sony A390: Macro capability depends on lens selection; combined with a dedicated macro lens, it produces significantly sharper, higher-quality results.

I enjoyed shooting tabletop plants with the Olympus intact during hikes, but for serious macro projects, the Sony DSLR plus macro lens is superior.

Night and Astro Photography: ISO Performance and Exposure Control

These genres require high ISO sensor performance and manual exposure modes.

• Olympus 6010: Max ISO 1600 but with noisy images and poor dynamic range above ISO 400. No manual exposure modes; only auto or simple scene modes provided. Limited for astrophotography.

• Sony A390: ISO up to 3200 with cleaner images and manual shutter/aperture controls ideal for long exposures of the night sky.

For night enthusiasts, the Sony provides a capable platform; the Olympus is limited to daytime snapshots.

Video Capabilities: Recording Specs and Stabilization

Although less important for many photography purists, video remains a relevant factor.

• Olympus 6010: Records low-resolution 640x480 video at 30fps in Motion JPEG format - adequate for casual clips only. Sensor-shift stabilization helps smooth handheld video. No external mic or HDMI outputs.

• Sony A390: No video recording capabilities, focusing strictly on stills.

If some video capture is important, the Olympus offers basic functionality; Sony is strictly photo-centric in this model.

Travel Photography: Versatility, Battery Life, and Practicality

Travel photographers want a lightweight, versatile camera with good battery life and connectivity.

• Olympus 6010: Fits very well for travel due to ruggedness, waterproofing, and compactness. Battery life is reasonable but unspecified in specs; uses rechargeable LI-50C batteries. Uses xD Picture Card or microSD storage. No wireless connectivity.

• Sony A390: Heavier but better battery life (approx. 230 shots per charge). Uses standard SD and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards. No wireless either. Offers greater creative flexibility but requires lenses and bag.

In my experience trekking in uncertain weather, the Olympus survived scratches, rain, and cold impressively. For urban or extended trips where image quality and manual controls matter, the Sony works well.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance: Engineering for Your Environment

The Olympus 6010 is engineered for extreme conditions: waterproof to several meters, freeze-proof, shock-resistant, and dust resistant though not fully sealed against dust. This makes it ideal for adventure and outdoor photography where accidents and harsh climates are common.

The Sony A390, while solidly built, lacks environmental sealing. It requires careful protection from moisture and dust, limiting outdoor use in rough conditions unless housed in protective gear.

Autofocus Systems: Precision vs. Simplicity

The contrast-detection AF in the Olympus 6010 is troubling for fast or low-light work. Its single-area AF means you cannot pre-select focus points. This limits compositional flexibility.

Sony’s 9-point phase-detection AF system with continuous tracking and face detection allows for much greater accuracy and versatility, essential for portraits and action photography.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility: Flexibility in Optics

The Olympus 6010 includes a fixed 28-102mm equivalent lens, limiting creative choices but ensuring a waterproof sealed system.

The Sony A390 utilizes the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount supporting over 140 lenses - a massive advantage. Access to primes, macros, telephoto zooms, and third-party lenses from Zeiss, Sigma, Tamron expands photographic possibilities immensely.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity: Practical Factors for Photographers

The Olympus uses proprietary LI-50C batteries and supports xD, microSD cards plus built-in memory. No Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or GPS limits wireless convenience.

The Sony’s NP-FH50 battery offers solid battery life. Single SD / Memory Stick slots simplify storage. Like the Olympus, it has no wireless but does provide HDMI for external monitoring.

Overall Performance and Scoring

Let me consolidate my assessment:

The Sony A390 scores markedly higher in image quality, AF system, exposure control, and creative flexibility. The Olympus excels in durability, ruggedness, and simplicity, suiting different priorities.

How These Cameras Stack Up in Different Photography Styles

Breaking down genre performance clearly:

• Portraits: Sony dominant
• Landscape: Sony preferred for image quality, Olympus for field durability
• Wildlife/Sports: Sony for AF and burst speed
• Street: Olympus for discretion, Sony for creative control
• Macro: Sony with dedicated lenses
• Night/Astro: Sony for ISO and manual modes
• Video: Olympus for basic clips
• Travel: Olympus for ruggedness; Sony for image quality and flexibility
• Professional: Sony only

Sample Photos Illustrating Differences

Witnessing both cameras’ output side by side reveals their DNA.

Olympus 6010 screen back Sony A390 screen back

Here you can see the Sony’s richer detail, better color accuracy, and refined noise handling against the looser, softer shots from the Olympus.

My Final Thoughts: Which Camera is Right for You?

Choosing between the Olympus Stylus Tough 6010 and Sony Alpha A390 boils down to your photographic priorities and shooting environment.

• Choose Olympus Stylus Tough 6010 if:

  • You need a waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof camera that can keep up with outdoor adventures and harsh conditions.
  • You prefer a simple, point-and-shoot experience without fussing over manual controls.
  • Portability, robustness, and straightforward operation outweigh the need for image quality or creative versatility.
  • Video capability, even at low-res, is a bonus.
  • You have a tight budget or want a durable secondary camera.

• Choose Sony Alpha A390 if:

  • You aspire to grow your photography skills with manual controls and interchangeable lenses.
  • Prioritize high image quality with large APS-C sensor advantages.
  • Need faster and more accurate autofocus for portraits, action, or wildlife.
  • You value creative flexibility with aperture/shutter priority modes and raw file support.
  • Are prepared to invest in lenses and carry a bulkier camera system.
  • Professional workflow integration, better flash options, and exposure bracketing matter to you.

Final Recommendation Summary

Both cameras excel at what they are designed for. The Olympus 6010 is a rugged travel companion that shrugs off harsh environments but is limited in creative scope and image quality. The Sony A390 delivers quality and control, making it a strong entry-level DSLR for enthusiasts willing to carry the extra weight and invest time learning manual photography.

My advice: match your camera choice to where and how you shoot, balancing ruggedness against image quality and control.

Choosing gear is deeply personal. I hope my direct testing insights help you decide wisely. If environmental toughness and portability are your must-haves, lean towards the Olympus. For creative potential and superior image quality, the Sony A390 is the better pick.

Happy shooting!

Disclaimer: I have no commercial affiliations with Olympus or Sony. All testing was conducted using standard industry methodology, field conditions, and multiple lenses/accessories where applicable.