Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A580

Below is a extended comparison of the Olympus TG-870 and Sony A580, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-870 (16MP) and the A580 (16MP) is pretty close but the TG-870 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

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The TG-870 was introduced 4 years later than the A580 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the TG-870 matches up versus the A580 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The whole galleries are available at Olympus TG-870 Gallery and Sony A580 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera often, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-870 features outside 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 A580 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Compare the Olympus TG-870 and Sony A580 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the TG-870 and the A580.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the TG-870 and A580 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to see the difference in sensor measurements just by viewing specs. The visual below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-870 and A580.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras come with the identical MP albeit not the same sensor measurements. The TG-870 has got the smaller sensor which will make achieving shallower DOF trickier. The fresher TG-870 will have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.