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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 front
Portability
69
Imaging
50
Features
40
Overall
46

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 Key Specs

Olympus TG-850 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
  • 218g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
  • Released January 2014
Sony A230
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 490g - 128 x 97 x 68mm
  • Launched May 2009
  • Succeeded the Sony A200
  • Renewed by Sony A290
Photography Glossary

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 Overview

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus TG-850 iHS versus Sony A230, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the resolutions of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and A230 (10MP) and the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) come with different sensor measurements.

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The TG-850 iHS was announced 4 years later than the A230 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the TG-850 iHS matches up against the A230 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Sony A230

 TG-850 iHS A230 
LaunchedJanuary 2014May 2009Fresher by 58 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution460k230kSharper screen (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS

 A230 TG-850 iHS 
Focus manually Very exact focus

Common features in the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A230

 TG-850 iHS A230 
Selfie screen Neither offers selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Lack of Touch friendly screen

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-850 iHS offers physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Sony A230 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus TG-850 iHS versus Sony A230 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the TG-850 iHS and the A230.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-850 iHS and A230 is 91 and 69 respectively.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizing just by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph here will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-850 iHS and A230.

Clearly, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The TG-850 iHS with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus TG-850 iHS will provide extra detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures much more aggressively. The newer TG-850 iHS provides an edge when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Portrait photography with Sony A230
35
MP count good (16 megapixels)
comes with face detection focus
lack of manual focus
manual mode not possible
external flash not possible
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
54
manual focus
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
no liveview feature
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Street photography highlights
Sony A230 Street photography highlights
69
screen tilts up and down
built in image stabilization (Optical)
weather sealing
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
67
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
screen does not articulate
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Sports photography factors
Sony A230 Sports photography factors
51
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (16MP)
comes with tracking autofocus
weather sealing
good battery (330 CIPA)
no shutter priority
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
46
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect AF
no liveview feature
slow frames per second (3.0 fps)
sensor resolution low (10MP)
not so great battery power (230 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Travel photography advice
Sony A230 Travel photography advice
72
good battery (330 shots)
weather sealing
MP count good (16MP)
built-in flash
relatively wide (21mm)
display isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
45
flash built-in
no Timelapse recording
not so great battery power (230 per charge)
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A230 as a Landscape photography camera
50
relatively wide (21mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (16MP)
weather sealing
good battery (330 shots)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
manual mode not possible
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
51
manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
small screen (2.7 inches)
no liveview feature
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
not so great battery power (230 CIPA)
no Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Vlogging information
Sony A230 Vlogging information
33
relatively wide (21mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
comes with face detection focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
display isn't selfie friendly
missing external microphone jack
9
no video recording
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A230 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A230
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHSSony Alpha DSLR-A230
General Information
Company Olympus Sony
Model Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
Category Waterproof Entry-Level DSLR
Released 2014-01-29 2009-05-18
Body design Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII Bionz
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 10MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4616 x 3464 3872 x 2592
Highest native ISO 6400 3200
Lowest native ISO 125 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points - 9
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 21-105mm (5.0x) -
Highest aperture f/3.5-5.7 -
Amount of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3" 2.7"
Screen resolution 460 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 1/2 seconds 30 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 7.0 frames/s 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range - 10.00 m
Flash options - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) -
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video file format H.264, Motion JPEG -
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Yes None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 218 gr (0.48 lbs) 490 gr (1.08 lbs)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 63
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.3
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 11.4
DXO Low light score not tested 531
Other
Battery life 330 photos 230 photos
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI-50B NP-FH50
Self timer Yes (2 sec, 12 sec, Custom Self-Timer (1-30 sec start timer, 1-10 pictures, 1-3 sec interval)) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Launch pricing $250 $569