Olympus 8000 vs Sony A58

Following is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus 8000 and Sony A58, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the 8000 (12MP) and A58 (20MP) and the 8000 (1/2.3") and A58 (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

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The 8000 was released 5 years prior to the A58 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the 8000 scores versus the A58 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Sony SLT-A58. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 8000 Gallery and Sony A58 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus 8000 has got outer dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") along with a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) and the Sony A58 has specifications of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") and a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 8000 and Sony A58 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the 8000 and the A58.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 8000 and A58 is 94 and 68 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizes only by reading specs. The pic below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the 8000 and A58.

All in all, the two cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The 8000 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Sony A58 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged 8000 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.