Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550
91 Imaging
40 Features
44 Overall
41
63 Imaging
54 Features
65 Overall
58
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 125 - 6400
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
- 218g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
- Revealed January 2014
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 632g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Revealed December 2009
- Superseded the Sony A100
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550 Overview
Following is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe TG-850 iHS was revealed 4 years after the A550 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a quick view of how the TG-850 iHS grades against the A550 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-850 iHS Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Sony A550
TG-850 iHS | A550 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | January 2014 | December 2009 | More modern by 51 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS
A550 | TG-850 iHS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | More exact focus | |||
Display resolution | 922k | 460k | Crisper display (+462k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A550
TG-850 iHS | A550 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Tilting | Tilting | Tilting display | |
Display size | 3" | 3" | Same display measurements | |
Selfie screen | Neither provides selfie screen | |||
Touch friendly display | Neither provides Touch friendly display |
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550 Physical Comparison
If you're intending to carry around your camera regularly, you need to take into account 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") and a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) while the Sony A550 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).
See the Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using during that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the TG-850 iHS and the A550.
Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the TG-850 iHS and A550 is 91 and 63 respectively.
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is very difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading through a spec sheet. The pic below may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-850 iHS and A550.
Clearly, both cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-850 iHS having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus TG-850 iHS will give extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The more modern TG-850 iHS provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Street Comparison
Sports Comparison
Travel Comparison
Landscape Comparison
Vlogging Comparison
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A550 Specifications
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS | Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model | Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS | Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 |
Class | Waterproof | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2014-01-29 | 2009-12-09 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic VII | Bionz |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 14MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | - | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 4616 x 3464 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 12800 |
Min native ISO | 125 | 200 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Number of focus points | - | 9 |
Cross focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens focal range | 21-105mm (5.0x) | - |
Largest aperture | f/3.5-5.7 | - |
Number of lenses | - | 143 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Tilting | Tilting |
Display sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of display | 460 thousand dots | 922 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Display tech | TFT LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 1/2 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter rate | 7.0 frames/s | 7.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | - | 12.00 m |
Flash settings | - | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | - | 1/160 secs |
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 data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | - |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Yes | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 218 grams (0.48 lbs) | 632 grams (1.39 lbs) |
Physical 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 score | not tested | 66 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 21.9 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.8 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 807 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 330 shots | 480 shots |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | 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 feature | ||
Type of storage | SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at release | $250 | $749 |