Olympus 8010 vs Sony A230

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus 8010 and Sony A230, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the 8010 (13MP) and A230 (10MP) and the 8010 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The 8010 was brought out 9 months later than the A230 which means that they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 8010 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the 8010 scores vs the A230 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 8010 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus 8010 comes with outside dimensions of 98mm x 64mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs) whilst the Sony A230 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

See the Olympus 8010 and Sony A230 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the 8010 and the A230.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 8010 and A230 is 92 and 69 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizing purely by looking at technical specs. The graphic here will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the 8010 and A230.

As you have seen, both of those cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The 8010 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Olympus 8010 will resolve extra detail having its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The newer 8010 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.