Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A550

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus TG-860 and Sony A550, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-860 (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very well matched but the TG-860 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The TG-860 was launched 5 years later than the A550 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the TG-860 grades against the A550 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The complete galleries are available at Olympus TG-860 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-860 comes with outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Sony A550 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus TG-860 and Sony A550 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the TG-860 versus the A550.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the TG-860 and A550 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizing merely by checking technical specs. The graphic here should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-860 and A550.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The TG-860 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus TG-860 will give you greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The more modern TG-860 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.