Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A390

Below is a thorough overview of the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A390, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the A390 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) use totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The TG-850 iHS was unveiled 3 years later than the A390 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the TG-850 iHS grades versus the A390 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS and Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery and Sony A390 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-850 iHS has physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) while the Sony A390 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Compare the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A390 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the TG-850 iHS compared to the A390.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-850 iHS and A390 is 91 and 66 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor measurements merely by seeing specs. The graphic underneath will offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-850 iHS and A390.

All in all, both cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-850 iHS having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Olympus TG-850 iHS will produce more detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The newer TG-850 iHS is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.