Olympus 8010 vs Sony A550

Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus 8010 and Sony A550, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the 8010 (13MP) and the A550 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the 8010 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The 8010 was released 2 months after the A550 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 8010 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise view of how the 8010 grades versus the A550 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 8010 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 8010 offers outside measurements of 98mm x 64mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs) and the Sony A550 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Olympus 8010 and Sony A550 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the 8010 compared to the A550.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the 8010 and A550 is 92 and 63 respectively.

Generally, its tough to envision the gap in sensor sizes just by checking out technical specs. The image below should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the 8010 and A550.

As you have seen, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The 8010 featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A550 will produce extra detail as a result of its extra 1MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a good deal more aggressively.