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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS front
 
Sony SLT-A57 front
Portability
64
Imaging
57
Features
85
Overall
68

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 Key Specs

Olympus TG-850 iHS
(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
  • Announced January 2014
Sony A57
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 16000 (Increase to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 618g - 132 x 98 x 81mm
  • Launched September 2012
  • Succeeded the Sony A55
  • Replacement is Sony A58
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 Overview

Here is a in-depth review of the Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the A57 (16MP) is very similar but the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The TG-850 iHS was unveiled 17 months later than the A57 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple view of how the TG-850 iHS scores versus the A57 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Sony A57

 TG-850 iHS A57 
LaunchedJanuary 2014September 2012Fresher by 17 months

Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS

 A57 TG-850 iHS 
Manual focus Dial 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 A57

 TG-850 iHS A57 
Display dimension3"3"Identical display measurement
Touch display Neither offers Touch display

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-850 iHS offers physical 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 A57 has sizing of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") along with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the TG-850 iHS compared to the A57.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-850 iHS and A57 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is very hard to see the gap between sensor sizing just by reading technical specs. The visual below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-850 iHS and A57.

As you have seen, the two cameras posses the exact same megapixel count but not the same sensor sizing. The TG-850 iHS has got the tinier sensor which will make getting shallow DOF more difficult. The fresher TG-850 iHS is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Portrait photography camera
Sony A57 as a Portrait photography camera
35
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
has face detection autofocus
focusing manually not possible
no manual mode
external flash not possible
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
74
focusing manually
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
offers face detect focus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Street photography details
Sony A57 Street photography details
69
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
environment sealing
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
75
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Sports photography with Sony A57
51
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
has tracking autofocus
environment sealing
great battery pack (330 CIPA)
no shutter priority mode
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
78
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
offers tracking focus
comes with phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Travel photography camera
Sony A57 as a Travel photography camera
72
great battery pack (330 shots)
environment sealing
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
flash built-in
pretty wide (21mm)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
67
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
built-in flash
display is selfie friendly
doesn't have Time Lapse function
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Landscape photography advice
Sony A57 Landscape photography advice
50
pretty wide (21mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
environment sealing
great battery pack (330 shots)
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual mode
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
72
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
doesn't have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Vlogging with Sony A57
33
pretty wide (21mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
has face detection autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is not selfie friendly
no external mic jack
77
display is selfie friendly
image stabilization (Sensor based)
offers face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does have mic support
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Sony A57 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-850 iHS and Sony A57
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHSSony SLT-A57
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS Sony SLT-A57
Class Waterproof Entry-Level DSLR
Announced 2014-01-29 2012-09-13
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VII -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4616 x 3464 4912 x 3264
Max native ISO 6400 16000
Max enhanced ISO - 25600
Min native ISO 125 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points - 15
Cross type focus points - 3
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 21-105mm (5.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/3.5-5.7 -
Available lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fully Articulated
Screen diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 460 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen technology TFT LCD Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 1/2 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter rate 7.0 frames per second 12.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Flash modes - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest 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) 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Yes Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 218g (0.48 pounds) 618g (1.36 pounds)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 75
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.4
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.0
DXO Low light rating not tested 785
Other
Battery life 330 photographs 550 photographs
Type of battery 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 feature
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Launch cost $250 $1,000