Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A500
91 Imaging
40 Features
44 Overall
41
63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
52
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(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
- Introduced January 2014
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Released August 2009
- New Model is Sony A560
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In this article, we are comparing the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A500, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.
Photography GlossaryThe TG-850 iHS was revealed 4 years later than the A500 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the TG-850 iHS scores against the A500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are provided at Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Sony A500
| TG-850 iHS | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | January 2014 |  | August 2009 | Fresher by 54 months |
| Display resolution | 460k |  | 230k | Crisper display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS
| A500 | TG-850 iHS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | More precise focus |
Common features in the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A500
| TG-850 iHS | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Tilting |  | Tilting | Tilting display |
| Display sizing | 3" |  | 3" | Equivalent display measurements |
| Selfie screen |  | Lack of selfie screen | ||
| Touch display |  | Lack of Touch display |
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
When you are aiming to carry your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-850 iHS provides external measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") with a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) while the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Compare the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A500 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the TG-850 iHS vs the A500.
Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-850 iHS and A500 is 91 and 63 respectively.
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it can be difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing only by viewing technical specs. The graphic below might give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-850 iHS and A500.
As you have seen, both of those cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The TG-850 iHS with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Olympus TG-850 iHS will provide you with more detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The younger TG-850 iHS will have an edge with regard to sensor tech.
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A500 Specifications
| Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Sony |
| Model type | Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
| Type | Waterproof | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Introduced | 2014-01-29 | 2009-08-27 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | TruePic VII | Bionz |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | - | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 4616 x 3464 | 4272 x 2848 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
| Min native ISO | 125 | 200 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | - | 9 |
| Cross type focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens zoom range | 21-105mm (5.0x) | - |
| Highest aperture | f/3.5-5.7 | - |
| Available lenses | - | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Tilting | Tilting |
| Screen size | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Screen resolution | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Screen tech | TFT LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 1/2 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter speed | 7.0 frames/s | 5.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | - | 12.00 m |
| Flash modes | - | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest 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) | - |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
| Video file format | H.264, Motion JPEG | - |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| 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 proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 218 gr (0.48 lb) | 630 gr (1.39 lb) |
| Dimensions | 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | 64 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 21.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.6 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 772 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 photos | 520 photos |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | LI-50B | NP-FM500H |
| 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 recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Launch cost | $250 | $638 |