Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A99 II

Lets look closer at the Olympus TG-870 and Sony A99 II, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the TG-870 (16MP) and A99 II (42MP) and the TG-870 (1/2.3") and A99 II (Full frame) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The TG-870 was announced 8 months before the A99 II which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A99 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the TG-870 scores against the A99 II in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 & Sony Alpha A99 II. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus TG-870 Gallery & Sony A99 II Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-870 provides external measurements of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Sony A99 II has dimensions of 143mm x 104mm x 76mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.0") with a weight of 849 grams (1.87 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus TG-870 and Sony A99 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the TG-870 against the A99 II.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-870 and A99 II is 91 and 57 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizing only by reading through specifications. The graphic below might give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-870 and A99 II.

To sum up, both the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The TG-870 with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A99 II will resolve more detail with its extra 26 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older TG-870 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.