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Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57

Portability
91
Imaging
41
Features
46
Overall
43
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 front
 
Sony SLT-A57 front
Portability
64
Imaging
57
Features
85
Overall
68

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 Key Specs

Olympus TG-870
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400 (Boost to 12800)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
  • 221g - 113 x 64 x 28mm
  • Announced January 2016
  • Older Model is Olympus TG-860
Sony A57
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 16000 (Raise to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 618g - 132 x 98 x 81mm
  • Introduced September 2012
  • Old Model is Sony A55
  • Successor is Sony A58
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Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 Overview

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus TG-870 versus Sony A57, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TG-870 (16MP) and the A57 (16MP) is relatively comparable but the TG-870 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The TG-870 was manufactured 3 years after the A57 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the TG-870 scores vs the A57 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus TG-870 over the Sony A57

 TG-870 A57 
IntroducedJanuary 2016September 2012More modern by 41 months

Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Olympus TG-870

 A57 TG-870 
Manual focus Dial precise focusing
Screen typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Olympus TG-870 and Sony A57

 TG-870 A57 
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen sizing
Screen resolution921k921kSame screen resolution
Touch screen Absent Touch screen

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-870 has exterior dimensions 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 A57 has sizing of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-870 versus Sony A57 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the TG-870 and the A57.

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-870 and A57 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes simply by going through technical specs. The picture underneath might offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-870 and A57.

As you can tell, both the cameras posses the exact same megapixels albeit different sensor sizes. The TG-870 has the smaller sensor which will make getting shallow DOF trickier. The fresher TG-870 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-870 Portrait photography info
Sony A57 Portrait photography info
36
good MP (16 megapixels)
supports face detect autofocus
no manual focus
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
74
has manual focus
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
has face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus TG-870
Street photography with Sony A57
65
screen tilts up and down
image stabilization (Optical)
environment sealing
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
heavier than competition (221 grams)
75
screen articulates
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-870 as a Sports photography camera
Sony A57 as a Sports photography camera
51
image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (16 megapixels)
supports tracking focus
environment sealing
better than average battery pack (300 per charge)
no shutter priority
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
78
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
resolution is good (16MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
has tracking focus
has phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-870 Travel photography advice
Sony A57 Travel photography advice
69
better than average battery pack (300 shots)
environment sealing
good MP (16MP)
built-in flash
decently wide (21mm)
heavier than competition (221 grams)
does not posses selfie friendly display
slow max aperture (f3.5)
67
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
screen is selfie friendly
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-870 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A57 as a Landscape photography camera
50
decently wide (21mm)
good sized screen (3 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (16MP)
environment sealing
better than average battery pack (300 per charge)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
manual mode not available
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
72
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen size is good (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-870 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A57 as a Vlogging camera
32
decently wide (21mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detect autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
does not posses selfie friendly display
no mic socket
heavier than competition (221g)
77
screen is selfie friendly
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
has mic socket
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Olympus TG-870 vs Sony A57 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-870 and Sony A57
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870Sony SLT-A57
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 Sony SLT-A57
Type Ultracompact Entry-Level DSLR
Announced 2016-01-06 2012-09-13
Physical type Ultracompact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VII -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 4608 x 3456 4912 x 3264
Max native ISO 6400 16000
Max boosted ISO 12800 25600
Min native ISO 125 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points - 15
Cross type focus points - 3
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 21-105mm (5.0x) -
Max aperture f/3.5-5.7 -
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Available lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Type of display Tilting Fully Articulated
Display sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 921 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Display technology - Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 7.0fps 12.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt 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
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported 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)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, 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 BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 221 grams (0.49 lbs) 618 grams (1.36 lbs)
Dimensions 113 x 64 x 28mm (4.4" 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
Form 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
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Cost at launch $280 $1,000