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Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550

Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
21
Overall
29
Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 front
Portability
63
Imaging
54
Features
65
Overall
58

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 Key Specs

Olympus 8000
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 64 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 28-102mm (F3.5-5.1) lens
  • 182g - 95 x 62 x 22mm
  • Revealed July 2009
  • Alternative Name is mju Tough 8000
Sony A550
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 632g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Revealed December 2009
  • Older Model is Sony A100
Photography Glossary

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 Overview

In this article, we are contrasting the Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the 8000 (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very comparable but the 8000 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The 8000 was introduced 5 months before the A550 which means that they are both of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the 8000 matches up versus the A550 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus 8000 over the Sony A550

 8000 A550 

Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Olympus 8000

 A550 8000 
Manual focus Dial accurate focus
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution922k230kCrisper display (+692k dot)

Common features in the Olympus 8000 and Sony A550

 8000 A550 
RevealedJuly 2009December 2009Same age
Selfie screen Neither contains selfie screen
Touch display Neither contains Touch display

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 Physical Comparison

When you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 8000 has got outer dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") having a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) whilst the Sony A550 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the 8000 and the A550.

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 8000 and A550 is 94 and 63 respectively.

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 top view buttons comparison

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it can be hard to envision the gap in sensor sizing purely by seeing technical specs. The photograph underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 8000 and A550.

As you have seen, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The 8000 using its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A550 will show extra detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively.

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 sensor size comparison

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus 8000 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony A550 as a Portrait photography camera
21
focusing manually not possible
no manual exposure
cannot use external flash
low MP (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
72
manual focus
resolution is good (14MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
has face detection focus
delivers RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus 8000 as a Street photography camera
Sony A550 as a Street photography camera
62
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment sealing
no articulating screen
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
74
tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus 8000
Sports photography with Sony A550
34
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment sealing
lack of shutter priority mode
low MP (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no phase detect autofocus
67
image stabilization (Sensor based)
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
not so great battery life (480 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus 8000 Travel photography info
Sony A550 Travel photography info
61
environment sealing
built-in flash
really wide (28mm)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
low MP (12MP)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
52
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
built-in flash
no Time Lapse function
not so great battery life (480 shots)
does not have a selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus 8000 Landscape photography factors
Sony A550 Landscape photography factors
35
really wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment sealing
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
no manual exposure
low MP (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
doesn't have Timelapse recording
66
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
good sized screen (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
not so great battery life (480 per charge)
no Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus 8000 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A550 as a Vlogging camera
28
really wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
low video resolution (640 x 480 pxls)
doesn't have external microphone support
9
no video recording
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Olympus 8000 vs Sony A550 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus 8000 and Sony A550
 Olympus Stylus Tough 8000Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
Also Known as mju Tough 8000 -
Type Small Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2009-07-01 2009-12-09
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.4 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 365.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 16:9, 4:3 and 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 3968 x 2976 4592 x 3056
Max native ISO 1600 12800
Min native ISO 64 200
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 28-102mm (3.6x) -
Max aperture f/3.5-5.1 -
Macro focus range 2cm -
Amount of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Tilting
Display size 2.7 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 230k dots 922k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.53x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 1/4 seconds 30 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate - 7.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 4.00 m 12.00 m
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
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) -
Max video resolution 640x480 None
Video data format Motion JPEG -
Mic support
Headphone support
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 sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 182g (0.40 lb) 632g (1.39 lb)
Dimensions 95 x 62 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 66
DXO Color Depth score not tested 21.9
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 11.8
DXO Low light score not tested 807
Other
Battery life - 480 shots
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes (12 seconds) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage xD Picture Card, microSD Card, Internal SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Single Single
Retail cost $380 $749