Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57
91 Imaging
40 Features
42 Overall
40


64 Imaging
57 Features
85 Overall
68
Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Key Specs
(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
- 224g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
- Released February 2015
- New Model is Olympus TG-870
(Full Review)

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Overview
Following is a thorough comparison of the Olympus TG-860 and Sony A57, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TG-860 (16MP) and the A57 (16MP) is fairly similar but the TG-860 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

The TG-860 was brought out 2 years after the A57 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-860 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the TG-860 scores vs the A57 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 and Sony SLT-A57. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-860 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-860 over the Sony A57
TG-860 | A57 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | February 2015 | ![]() | September 2012 | More modern by 30 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Olympus TG-860
A57 | TG-860 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial precise focusing | ||
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 460k | Crisper display (+461k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Common features in the Olympus TG-860 and Sony A57
TG-860 | A57 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent display size |
Touch display | ![]() | Lack of Touch display |
Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison
In case you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-860 provides physical measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") along with a weight of 224 grams (0.49 lbs) while the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).
Examine the Olympus TG-860 and Sony A57 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have during that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the TG-860 vs the A57.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-860 and A57 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison
Often, it's hard to see the difference between sensor sizes only by going over specifications. The pic here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-860 and A57.
Plainly, both the cameras enjoy the same exact resolution but not the same sensor sizes. The TG-860 uses the tinier sensor which is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult. The more modern TG-860 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Specifications
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 | Sony SLT-A57 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 | Sony SLT-A57 |
Category | Waterproof | Entry-Level DSLR |
Released | 2015-02-06 | 2012-09-13 |
Physical type | Ultracompact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic VII | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 16MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4912 x 3264 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 16000 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 25600 |
Lowest native ISO | 125 | 100 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
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 | - |
Macro focusing range | 1cm | - |
Total lenses | - | 143 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Tilting | Fully Articulated |
Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 460k dots | 921k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Screen technology | - | Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,440k dots |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.7x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4s | 30s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.0 frames per sec | 12.0 frames per sec |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 4.00 m (at ISO 1600) | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
Flash options | Auto, redeye reduction, fill flash, off, LED illuminator | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | - | 1/160s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (60p) | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | Yes | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 224g (0.49 lb) | 618g (1.36 lb) |
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 All around 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 | 300 photos | 550 photos |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | Li-50B | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Launch pricing | $279 | $1,000 |