Olympus TG-310 vs Sony A500
94 Imaging
37 Features
33 Overall
35
63 Imaging
52 Features
52 Overall
52
Olympus TG-310 vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-102mm (F3.9-5.9) lens
- 155g - 96 x 63 x 23mm
- Launched January 2011
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Announced August 2009
- Updated by Sony A560
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Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus TG-310 versus Sony A500, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TG-310 (14MP) and the A500 (12MP) is relatively similar but the TG-310 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) use different sensor size.
Photography GlossaryThe TG-310 was brought out 17 months later than the A500 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-310 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going straight into a thorough comparison, below is a brief summation of how the TG-310 grades vs the A500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus TG-310 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus TG-310 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-310 over the Sony A500
| TG-310 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | January 2011 |  | August 2009 | More recent by 17 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Olympus TG-310
| A500 | TG-310 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | Dial exact focusing | ||
| Screen type | Tilting |  | Fixed | Tilting screen |
| Screen dimension | 3" |  | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Common features in the Olympus TG-310 and Sony A500
| TG-310 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen resolution | 230k |  | 230k | The same screen resolution |
| Selfie screen |  | Neither provides selfie screen | ||
| Touch friendly screen |  | Neither provides Touch friendly screen |
Olympus TG-310 vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-310 provides external measurements of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Examine the Olympus TG-310 versus Sony A500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the TG-310 compared to the A500.
Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the TG-310 and A500 is 94 and 63 respectively.
Olympus TG-310 vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Often, it can be tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over a spec sheet. The graphic here will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-310 and A500.
As you can see, each of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-310 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus TG-310 will deliver extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more modern TG-310 provides an advantage in sensor tech.
Olympus TG-310 vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus TG-310 vs Sony A500 Specifications
| Olympus TG-310 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus TG-310 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
| Category | Waterproof | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Launched | 2011-01-06 | 2009-08-27 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | TruePic III+ | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CCD | 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 | 14 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | - | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 4272 x 2848 |
| Highest native ISO | 1600 | 12800 |
| Minimum native ISO | 80 | 200 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 9 |
| Cross focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens focal range | 28-102mm (3.6x) | - |
| Maximal aperture | f/3.9-5.9 | - |
| Macro focus distance | 3cm | - |
| Number of lenses | - | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display diagonal | 2.7" | 3" |
| Display resolution | 230k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Display technology | TFT Color LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.53x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 30 secs |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shooting speed | 1.0 frames per sec | 5.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 4.20 m | 12.00 m |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) | - |
| Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
| Video format | Motion JPEG | - |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 155 gr (0.34 lb) | 630 gr (1.39 lb) |
| Dimensions | 96 x 63 x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | not tested | 64 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 21.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.6 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 772 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 150 images | 520 images |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | LI-42B | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Cost at launch | $0 | $638 |