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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55

Portability
91 Imaging
40 Features
44 Overall
41
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS front
 
Sony SLT-A55 front
Portability
67 Imaging
56 Features
80 Overall
65

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 Key Specs

Olympus TG-850 iHS
(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
Sony A55
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Expand to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 500g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
  • Revealed August 2010
  • Refreshed by Sony A57
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 Overview

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the A55 (16MP) is very similar but the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) possess different sensor size.

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The TG-850 iHS was announced 3 years later than the A55 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the TG-850 iHS grades vs the A55 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Sony A55

		

		

			
 TG-850 iHS A55 
RevealedJanuary 2014August 2010More recent by 42 months
		

	

	
	

		

		
Reasons to pick Sony A55 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS

		

		

			
 A55 TG-850 iHS 
Manually focus  Very exact focus
Display typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating display
Display resolution921k460kSharper display (+461k dot)
Selfie screen  Easy selfies
		

	

	
	

		

		
Common features in the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A55

		

		

			
 TG-850 iHS A55 
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display size
Touch friendly display  Neither includes Touch friendly display
		

	

	

	
	
	
	

	

		

		
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 Physical Comparison

		

		

			
For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you'll have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-850 iHS features outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) whilst the Sony A55 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the TG-850 iHS against the A55.
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 size comparison
Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-850 iHS and A55 is 91 and 67 respectively.
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 top view buttons comparison		

	

	
	

		

		
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 Sensor Comparison

		

		

			
Typically, it is very tough to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements purely by going over specs. The photograph underneath should offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-850 iHS and A55.
As you can plainly see, both of the cameras enjoy the same exact megapixels but different sensor measurements. The TG-850 iHS comes with the tinier sensor which will make obtaining bokeh more difficult. The younger TG-850 iHS provides an advantage with regard to sensor tech.
	
			Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 sensor size comparison			
		

	

	
	

		

		
Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 Screen and ViewFinder

		

		

					

		Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 Screen and Viewfinder comparison	

	
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Photography Type Scores

		

	

	
Portrait Comparison
 Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Portrait photography camera
 Sony A55 as a Portrait photography camera
35
 MP count good (16 megapixels)
 offers face detect focusing
 no manual focus
 no manual control
 no external flash support
 sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
 lack of RAW support
73
 has manual focus
 resolution is good (16 megapixels)
 sensor size is good (APS-C)
 supports face detection focus
 exports RAW files
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Street Comparison
 Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Street photography camera
 Sony A55 as a Street photography camera
69
 screen tilts up and down
 image stabilization (Optical)
 weather proofing
 sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
 lack of RAW support
77
 fully articulated screen
 built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
 sensor size is good (APS-C)
 exports RAW files
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Sports Comparison
Olympus TG-850 iHS Sports photography advice
Sony A55 Sports photography advice
51
 image stabilization (Optical)
 MP count good (16MP)
 offers tracking focus
 weather proofing
 better than average battery (330 per charge)
 lack of shutter priority mode
 sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
 lack of phase detect AF
68
 built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
 resolution is good (16MP)
 sensor size is good (APS-C)
 sensor has phase detect auto focus
 terrible battery power (380 shots)
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Travel Comparison
Olympus TG-850 iHS Travel photography details
Sony A55 Travel photography details
72
 better than average battery (330 per charge)
 weather proofing
 MP count good (16MP)
 flash built-in
 fairly wide (21mm)
 doesn't feature selfie friendly display
 sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
62
 resolution is good (16 megapixels)
 built-in flash
 display is selfie friendly
 does not have Timelapse mode
 terrible battery power (380 shots)
Photography Glossary
Landscape Comparison
Olympus TG-850 iHS Landscape photography factors
Sony A55 Landscape photography factors
50
 fairly wide (21mm)
 pretty good screen size (3 inch)
 image stabilization (Optical)
 MP count good (16 megapixels)
 weather proofing
 better than average battery (330 CIPA)
 no manual focus
 lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
 sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
 no manual control
 sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
 lack of RAW support
67
 has manual focus
 interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
 screen size is good (3 inches)
 built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
 resolution is good (16 megapixels)
 sensor size is good (APS-C)
 exports RAW files
 terrible battery power (380 per charge)
 does not have Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison
 Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Vlogging camera
 Sony A55 as a Vlogging camera
33
 fairly wide (21mm)
 image stabilization (Optical)
 offers face detect focusing
 high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
 sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
 doesn't feature selfie friendly display
 doesn't have microphone jack
78
 display is selfie friendly
 built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
 supports face detection focus
 high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
 includes external microphone port
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A55 Specifications

		

		

					

		
		

			Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A55
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHSSony SLT-A55
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS Sony SLT-A55
Category Waterproof Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2014-01-29 2010-08-24
Body design 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 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter    
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and  16:9
Highest resolution 4616 x 3464 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 6400 12800
Highest boosted ISO - 25600
Minimum native ISO 125 100
RAW images    
Autofocusing
Focus manually    
Touch to focus    
Autofocus continuous    
Autofocus single    
Tracking autofocus    
Selective autofocus    
Center weighted autofocus    
Multi area autofocus    
Autofocus live view    
Face detect focus    
Contract detect focus    
Phase detect focus    
Number of focus points - 15
Cross focus points - 3
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 Fully Articulated
Display sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 460 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly    
Liveview    
Touch operation    
Display tech TFT LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,150 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 1/2 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 7.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority    
Aperture priority    
Manually set exposure    
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance    
Image stabilization    
Built-in flash    
Flash range - 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Flash options - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash    
AE bracketing    
White balance bracketing    
Highest flash sync - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment    
Average    
Spot    
Partial    
AF area    
Center weighted    
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone jack    
Headphone jack    
Connectivity
Wireless Yes Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth    
NFC    
HDMI    
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment seal    
Water proof    
Dust proof    
Shock proof    
Crush proof    
Freeze proof    
Weight 218 grams (0.48 lbs) 500 grams (1.10 lbs)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 73
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.0
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.4
DXO Low light score not tested 816
Other
Battery life 330 shots 380 shots
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI-50B NP-FW50
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    
Storage media SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots Single Single
Cost at launch $250 $800