Olympus 8000 vs Sony A290

Its time to look closer at the Olympus 8000 and Sony A290, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the 8000 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is fairly similar but the 8000 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) have different sensor dimensions.

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The 8000 was released 11 months before the A290 and they are of a similar age. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the 8000 matches up vs the A290 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 8000 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 8000 provides external dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) and the Sony A290 has dimensions 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 8000 and Sony A290 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the 8000 vs the A290.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 8000 and A290 is 94 and 66 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reviewing specs. The image underneath should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the 8000 and A290.

All in all, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The 8000 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh harder and the Sony A290 will offer greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images way more aggressively. The more aged 8000 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.