Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A580

The following is a in depth comparison of the Olympus TG-860 and Sony A580, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the TG-860 (16MP) and the A580 (16MP) is relatively close but the TG-860 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The TG-860 was released 3 years after the A580 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summation of how the TG-860 grades vs the A580 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The complete galleries are available at Olympus TG-860 Gallery & Sony A580 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-860 has got physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") having a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) while the Sony A580 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus TG-860 and Sony A580 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the TG-860 and the A580.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-860 and A580 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to see the gap in sensor dimensions purely by viewing specs. The image below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-860 and A580.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras offer the same exact megapixels albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The TG-860 contains the smaller sensor which should make achieving shallower DOF harder. The more recent TG-860 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.