Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A500

Lets look much closer at the Olympus TG-870 and Sony A500, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the TG-870 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the TG-870 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

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The TG-870 was announced 6 years later than the A500 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summation of how the TG-870 grades versus the A500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus TG-870 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-870 offers external measurements of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") having a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Sony A500 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Compare the Olympus TG-870 and Sony A500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the TG-870 versus the A500.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-870 and A500 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Normally, its hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing only by looking through a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-870 and A500.

Clearly, each of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The TG-870 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Olympus TG-870 will render extra detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger TG-870 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.