Olympus 8010 vs Sony A580

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus 8010 versus Sony A580, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the 8010 (13MP) and the A580 (16MP) is pretty similar but the 8010 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The 8010 was launched 15 months earlier than the A580 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus 8010 being a Compact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the 8010 grades against the A580 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 8010 Gallery and Sony A580 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus 8010 provides exterior measurements of 98mm x 64mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.5" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs) whilst the Sony A580 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Look at the Olympus 8010 versus Sony A580 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the 8010 vs the A580.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 8010 and A580 is 92 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over specs. The visual below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the 8010 and A580.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 8010 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony A580 will deliver extra detail utilizing its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The older 8010 is going to be behind in sensor tech.