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Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
42
Overall
40
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 front
 
Sony SLT-A57 front
Portability
64
Imaging
57
Features
85
Overall
68

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Key Specs

Olympus TG-860
(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
Sony A57
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 16000 (Raise to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 618g - 132 x 98 x 81mm
  • Released September 2012
  • Old Model is Sony A55
  • Renewed by Sony A58
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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.

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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.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-860 over the Sony A57

 TG-860 A57 
ReleasedFebruary 2015September 2012More modern by 30 months

Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Olympus TG-860

 A57 TG-860 
Manually focus Dial precise focusing
Display typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating display
Display resolution921k460kCrisper display (+461k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Olympus TG-860 and Sony A57

 TG-860 A57 
Display sizing3"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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 size comparison

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 top view buttons comparison

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 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-860 Portrait photography highlights
Sony A57 Portrait photography highlights
35
megapixel count decent (16MP)
provides face detection autofocus
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
no external flash support
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
74
you can focus manually
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
includes face detect focus
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-860 Street photography highlights
Sony A57 Street photography highlights
69
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
environment proofing
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
75
screen articulates fully
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-860 Sports photography info
Sony A57 Sports photography info
48
built in image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
provides tracking autofocus
environment proofing
no shutter priority
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
78
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
includes tracking focus
supports phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-860 Travel photography highlights
Sony A57 Travel photography highlights
71
environment proofing
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
reasonably wide (21mm)
screen is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
67
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
display is selfie friendly
no Time Lapse mode
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-860 Landscape photography details
Sony A57 Landscape photography details
47
reasonably wide (21mm)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
environment proofing
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
72
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
decent sized screen (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
no Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-860 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A57 as a Vlogging camera
33
reasonably wide (21mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
screen is not selfie friendly
doesn't have external microphone socket
77
display is selfie friendly
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
comes with mic socket
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Olympus TG-860 vs Sony A57 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-860 and Sony A57
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860Sony 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