Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A290

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A290, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the TG-870 (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is very close but the TG-870 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

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The TG-870 was launched 5 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a full comparison, here is a concise summation of how the TG-870 grades against the A290 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-870 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-870 offers physical measurements of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A290 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have during that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the TG-870 compared to the A290.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-870 and A290 is 91 and 66 respectively.

Typically, it is very tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements just by researching specs. The visual underneath will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-870 and A290.

All in all, both of those cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-870 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Olympus TG-870 will render greater detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The younger TG-870 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.