Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A290

In this article, we are matching up the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A290, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is very close but the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The TG-850 iHS was manufactured 3 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief summation of how the TG-850 iHS matches up versus the A290 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera often, you need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus TG-850 iHS has got outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") having a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) and the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A290 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the TG-850 iHS vs the A290.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the TG-850 iHS and A290 is 91 and 66 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements purely by researching specifications. The graphic here will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-850 iHS and A290.

Plainly, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-850 iHS due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus TG-850 iHS will render greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The newer TG-850 iHS will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.