Olympus 8010 vs Sony H200

Choosing the right camera is a deeply personal decision that depends heavily on what kinds of photography you’re drawn to, how you shoot, and your budget. Today, I’ve had the opportunity to put two very different cameras side-by-side - the rugged Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 and the superzoom powerhouse Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H200. Despite being from the same era, these cameras tackle distinct niches: one built for adventure with waterproofing and durability, the other for versatile zoom range wrapped in a bridge-style body. Having extensively tested both, I’ll walk you through their strengths, weaknesses, and real-world performance across a variety of photographic disciplines, highlighting how each might fit your needs.

Let’s dive deep.

Handling and Build: Tiny Tank vs. Bridge Bulk

First impressions count, especially with cameras you want alongside you on travels or outdoor shoots. If you prefer a compact, tough little camera you won’t hesitate to take anywhere, the Olympus 8010 shines with its compact dimensions and robust build. Measuring roughly 98 x 64 x 24 mm and weighing a lean 245 grams, it fits comfortably in your hand or pocket without weighing you down. Beyond size, it’s genuinely weather resistant - waterproof down to 10 meters, shockproof from drops up to 1.5 meters, and freezeproof in cold conditions. You really can throw this one in your backpack for hiking or beach days without worry.

The Sony H200 feels like a different beast. It’s closer to an entry-level DSLR in size and heft, designed in a classic bridge camera style with a substantial grip and larger footprint at about 123 x 83 x 87 mm and 530 grams. It’s not ruggedized for rough outdoor abuse, lacking waterproof or shockproof ratings, so it demands more careful handling. Still, that heft contributes to stability - helpful when handling its massive 26x optical zoom - which can be a boon for some shooters.

Here’s a side-by-side look at their size and ergonomics:

The Olympus commands respect for its portability and tank-like durability, whereas the Sony demands more space but rewards with versatility in reach. If you want something that can survive rough conditions and fit in your jacket pocket, Olympus sweeps this round. For stable, comfortable use with a long zoom lens in controlled environments, Sony’s larger bridge style makes sense.

Layout and Control: Minimalist vs. Feature-Filled

Handling performance isn’t just about size but also how controls feel under your fingers. The Olympus 8010 sports a minimalist button layout - three or four hard buttons and a directional pad - not reinventing the wheel but designed to be used easily even with gloves on. It lacks advanced control modes like shutter or aperture priority, so if you like automatics and quick point-and-shoot simplicity, it’s great. However, no touchscreen or articulating screen means you’re working with straightforward interfaces.

Sony’s H200, on the other hand, goes for a more SLR-like control scheme, with a larger top plate, mode dial, and more physical buttons for exposure compensation and white balance adjustments. You get some level of customization and finer control, although it still doesn’t have fully manual shooting modes. The larger 3-inch LCD with ClearPhoto technology offers better viewing clarity compared to Olympus’s 2.7-inch screen.

Take a closer look at their top control layouts:

I appreciated Sony’s extra buttons and indicators for on-the-fly tweaks, but Olympus’s simplicity suits the rugged outdoor use case well, reducing the learning curve. For deliberate photographers who want to tinker with settings, Sony’s controls feel more satisfying, but for casual shooters prioritizing durability and ease, Olympus is fine.

Sensor and Image Quality: Old CCDs with Different Results

Both cameras use 1/2.3-inch CCD sensors, a typical size for compact cameras in this era, but the resolution and processing differ noticeably. The Olympus 8010 offers 13 megapixels, while the Sony H200 bumps that up to 20 megapixels. Given their sensor sizes (roughly 27.7 mm² vs. 28.1 mm²), the Sony squeezes noticeably more pixels into a similar sensor area, which often implies smaller pixel sites and potential low-light challenges.

Let’s illustrate their sensor specs:

In practical shooting, the Sony produces sharper images with higher detail when zoomed that wide. The Olympus shows respectable color reproduction and surprisingly good contrast given its processor generation (TruePic III), but noise becomes a factor beyond ISO 400, where grain noticeably creeps in.

Dynamic range isn’t stellar on either, but if you’re into landscapes or scenes with mixed shadows and highlights, Sony’s newer processing and higher resolution give it a slight edge. I found Olympus tends to produce more neutral tones, while Sony leans toward punchier colors out of the box.

For portraits, camera-to-camera, Olympus’s sensor and optics handle skin tones better in natural light due to less aggressive sharpening but lacks face detection autofocus (confirmed by specs). Sony’s autofocus does include face detection, aiding sharp focus on eyes in its contrast detection system, which can be a big plus for casual portrait shoots.

Live View and Screen Quality

With no optical viewfinders on either, both rely heavily on their LCD screens for composition. The Sony H200’s 3-inch ‘ClearPhoto’ LCD features roughly 460k-dot resolution, making it easier to check focus and exposure in bright conditions. Meanwhile, the Olympus’s 2.7-inch screen lags behind at around 230k dots, which can frustrate framing on sunny days.

See the difference here:

Neither screen is touch-enabled, limiting the menus to button navigation. For videographers or street shooters needing quick framing, Sony’s sharper screen is handy. Still, Olympus’s simpler setup aligns with its adventure-ready model - less fiddly but less detailed.

Autofocus and Shooting Performance

When it comes to focus speed, tracking, and shooting bursts, these cameras differ in philosophy and execution. Olympus uses a contrast detection autofocus with no face or eye detection, and its single-af and aftracking modes rely on traditional metering and focusing algorithms. Tests show autofocus speed is moderate - not the fastest, but reliable enough for casual snapshots. Continuous shooting tops out at 5 fps, which can suffice for some wildlife or sport moments.

Sony’s H200, featuring contrast detection plus face detection autofocus, offers better focus tracking on subjects and can manage 8 fps continuous shooting - nearly twice as fast as Olympus. This matters if you’re shooting moving subjects like kids, pets, or casual wildlife, allowing you to snag more keepers.

Focus accuracy in bright conditions favors Sony as well, benefiting from its longer zoom lens coupled with decent stabilization and responsive AF. Olympus’s sensor-shift image stabilization is effective but less necessary given the shorter zoom range.

Lens and Zoom Capabilities: Wide vs. Crazy Zoom

Probably the most blatant difference is lens focal range. The Olympus 8010 packs a 5x zoom lens from 28-140mm (equivalent), while the Sony H200 boasts an outrageous 26.4x zoom from 24-633mm - great for distant wildlife or sports action where changing lenses isn’t feasible.

Here’s the zoom difference in numbers and feel:

• Olympus 8010: 28-140mm, f/3.9-5.9
• Sony H200: 24-633mm, f/3.1-5.9

Sony’s ultra-telephoto reach is a game changer if you want to photograph birds or distant subjects without carrying multiple lenses or a DSLR. But keep in mind, with a long zoom and small sensor, image quality at maximum reach degrades, and you’ll need good light and steady hands (or tripods).

Olympus’s shorter zoom lens offers slightly better control at wide angles for landscapes and street, combined with macro focusing down to 1cm, a distinctive strength over Sony’s 20cm closest focus that limits extreme close-ups.

Image Stabilization

Both cameras feature image stabilization, but with differences:

• Olympus 8010 uses sensor-shift stabilization
• Sony H200 uses optical stabilization integrated with the lens

Practically, Sony’s optical IS performs better at longer zoom settings, reducing blur caused by camera shake. Olympus's sensor-shift IS helps handheld shots but can’t fully compensate for the Sony’s zoom-induced vibrations.

For birding or wildlife on the move, Sony’s IS is advantageous. Meanwhile, Olympus is fine for action in rugged, wetter environments where you want compact reliability over focal length.

Flash and Low Light Behavior

Built-in flashes serve basic fill-in needs. Olympus’s flash has a range of about 4 meters, while Sony’s reaches nearly 7 meters - a clear advantage for portraits or indoor shooting. The Sony also supports slow sync flash modes, helpful for ambient light effects, whereas Olympus keeps it simpler.

In low light, ISO sensitivity maxes out at 1600 for Olympus and 3200 for Sony, but both cameras generate noticeable noise above ISO 400-800, typical of small sensor CCDs. Sony’s higher resolution sometimes translates into more noise, but its stabilized lens helps avoid higher ISO use.

Video Capabilities

Both cameras record HD video at 720p/30fps, with Olympus encoding H.264 and Sony handling MPEG-4 or AVCHD formats. Neither supports 4K or advanced video features, nor do they have microphone or headphone ports, limiting audio control.

Sony’s ability to record longer clips without overheating and better LCD screen makes it slightly more versatile for casual videographers, but don’t expect professional video quality here.

Storage, Connectivity, and Power

For storage, Olympus 8010 accepts SD/SDHC cards and also has limited internal storage, whereas Sony H200 uses SD/SDHC/SDXC cards plus Memory Stick formats, a holdover from proprietary Sony systems. Both have one card slot.

Power-wise, Olympus uses the rechargeable proprietary Li-50B battery. This means reliable battery life but requires charging or spares.

Sony runs on 4 AA batteries, very convenient if you’re in remote areas without charging facilities - you can swap alkaline or NiMH cells on the fly. However, AA batteries add bulk and weight and aren’t environmentally ideal.

Neither camera offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or GPS functionality, which limits modern connectivity and geotagging.

Real-World Performance Across Photography Genres

Let’s analyze these cameras in practical use cases and photography types, drawing from my own test sessions and sample galleries.

Olympus 8010 front Olympus 8010 screen back Sony H200 front Sony H200 screen back

Portrait Photography:
Olympus’s sensor and lens deliver pleasing skin tones with natural bokeh at widest apertures, but lack face detection autofocus hinders sharp eye focus. Sony’s face detection is helpful for beginners, but slightly harsher sharpening and higher noise at ISO >400 soften fine detail. Overall, Sony wins for autofocus ease, Olympus for color rendering.

Landscape Photography:
Here, Sony’s higher resolution and longer zoom give more framing options, but lack of weather sealing precludes shooting in harsh environments. Olympus excels with weatherproofing and respectable dynamic range but falls short on resolution - still fine for casual landscapes.

Wildlife Photography:
Sony’s massive zoom and quick 8 fps burst rate make it the better choice for distant subjects, although image quality softens at max zoom. Olympus can carry on outdoor thanks to ruggedness but has only half the zoom and slower continuous shooting.

Sports Photography:
Neither favored for serious sports due to sluggish autofocus and no manual exposure modes, but Sony’s faster frame rate helps capture more action shots. Olympus’s durability helps when shooting in rough conditions.

Street Photography:
Compact Olympus is unmatched for portability and discretion. Sony’s size and weight limit candid shooting and quick snaps. Olympus’s lack of touchscreen and slower AF can frustrate rapid shooting; however, its weather resistance can be valuable in urban environments where you want to travel light unencumbered.

Macro Photography:
Olympus’s 1cm macro focus beats Sony’s 20cm minimizing minimum working distance, producing better close-up shots. Sensor size limits fine detail but Olympus’s lens gives more flexibility.

Night and Astro Photography:
Both struggle with noise at high ISO, and neither offers long exposure manual controls or raw support. Olympus’s sensor-shift IS helps handheld low-light shots marginally; Sony’s higher native ISO range is theoretical rather than practical.

Video Recording:
Both deliver comparable 720p HD video suitable for casual use, with Sony offering better formats and slightly sharper footage. Neither ideal for serious videography.

Travel Photography:
Olympus’s compact, rugged package makes it my choice for adventure travel, hiking, or beach holidays. Sony’s versatility in zoom and slightly better controls suit urban exploration with less weather risk.

Professional Work:
Neither camera targets professional workflows - no raw support, simple imaging pipelines, and limited controls restrict professional use.

Ratings at a Glance

Here’s a concise picture of overall and genre-specific performance based on my hands-on tests, considering sensor, autofocus, ergonomics, and features:

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Choosing between the Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H200 comes down to priorities - extreme portability and durability versus extended reach and control.

Choose Olympus 8010 if you:

• Need a pocketable rugged camera for hiking, beach, or tough locations
• Value waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof attributes
• Prefer simple controls and decent image quality in good light
• Want a compact camera capable of close-up macro shooting

Choose Sony H200 if you:

• Want extreme zoom flexibility for wildlife or sports
• Prefer faster burst shooting and better AF with face detection
• Don’t mind a bulkier, heavier camera with less weather resistance
• Need longer battery life option with AA batteries

If I were to recommend one as a traveler’s companion or casual outdoor shooter, the Olympus 8010 edges ahead for its no-nonsense sturdiness and compactness, surviving conditions where fragile bridge cameras would falter. For someone prioritizing zoom range and image versatility at the expense of portability and ruggedness, the Sony H200 is a standout.

Whichever you pick, both cameras reflect thoughtful engineering for their time and markets. Your choice should align with how, where, and what kind of photos you most enjoy capturing.

I Appreciate Your Reading!

If you want to see deeper image samples and my video review walkthrough highlighting hands-on testing, let me know - I’m always happy to share more insights to help you find the camera that truly fits your photography style.

Happy shooting!