Olympus TG-320 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H200: A Hands-On Comparison for Every Photographer’s Needs

When I first unpacked the Olympus TG-320 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H200, I was immediately intrigued by their vastly different approaches under the compact camera umbrella. Despite both being budget-friendly options with fixed lenses and compact form factors, they appeal to different types of shooters and scenarios. Over the years of field testing thousands of cameras, I've learned that the story behind a camera’s specs often unfolds only after you put it through real-world paces - examining autofocus behavior in low light, handling ergonomics in long shoots, and image quality down to pixel peeping detail.

In this comprehensive comparison, I’ll dive deep into both cameras' capabilities across various photographic disciplines and practical usage. My goal is to give you, a passionate photographer or professional researcher, a nuanced picture that reveals where each of these cameras shines and where you'll want to look harder or elsewhere.

First Impressions and Ergonomics: Size and Handling Matter

Before diving into pixels and performance, a critical part of my camera evaluation revolves around the camera’s physicality - how it feels in the hand and how intuitive the controls are during a shoot.

The Olympus TG-320 is a classic rugged compact designed for active, sometimes harsh conditions. It's small and thin, measuring only 96 x 63 x 23 mm and weighing a modest 155 grams with the battery. This slim profile makes it truly pocketable and surprisingly pleasant to carry for extended travel or casual use. The careful environmental sealing produces a water-, dust-, shock-, and freezeproof camera resilient enough for adventurous outings.

Contrast this with the Sony DSC-H200, a bridge-style camera with a much more substantial frame (123 x 83 x 87 mm, weighing 530 grams). It mimics an SLR's grip and form but lacks a viewfinder, relying solely on the LCD. While this heftier body means it feels steadier and more deliberate in hand (particularly beneficial when zooming with its long telephoto lens), it sacrifices low-profile portability and doesn’t have any weather sealing.

From my extended handling sessions, I found the Olympus's compactness superb for on-the-move scenarios - urban street photography or wilderness treks - whereas the Sony’s bulk better suits days you anticipate methodical shooting, such as portraits or wildlife from a distance. The trade-off in handling speaks volumes about their intended audience.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Foundation of Photography

Both cameras use the common 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor format, but their resolutions significantly differ: the Olympus TG-320 offers 14MP, whereas the Sony H200 pushes to 20MP. While a higher pixel count can mean more detail, sensor size limitations often impact low-light performance and dynamic range.

During my side-by-side shoots, I noticed the Sony’s sensor brings superior resolution that benefits cropping or printing larger. However, due to both sensors being CCD rather than CMOS, their noise performance at high ISO levels (particularly above ISO 800) is limited - grain and loss of detail become apparent sooner compared to modern CMOS sensors found in newer models.

The Olympus, with its lower resolution but sensor-shift stabilization, offers slightly better control in handheld, low-light environments, especially when coupled with its rugged build designed for spontaneous shooting.

In daylight conditions, both produce vibrant colors with decent dynamic range for their sensor class. The Sony edges ahead slightly with its 20MP output allowing crisper details across landscapes and portraits, but neither can match interchangeable lens cameras on image quality factors like chromatic aberration, highlight recovery, or tonal gradation.

Control Layout and User Interface: Navigating with Efficiency

The user interface often defines how quickly and effectively photographers can respond to changing shooting conditions.

The Olympus TG-320 features a minimal control scheme on its compact body - largely menu-driven with a 2.7-inch 230k-dot fixed TFT LCD screen. It lacks a touchscreen or top screen status display, focusing instead on simplicity and reliability. Without manual exposure modes or advanced autofocus selections, it is primarily an automatic point-and-shoot camera focused on rugged outdoor use.

Conversely, the Sony H200 sports a larger 3-inch ClearPhoto LCD with a significantly higher resolution of 460k dots, translating to a more detailed and colorful preview. The body mirrors an SLR style, providing a more ergonomic grip and button placement that though not illuminated, is intuitive after a short learning curve. Like the TG-320, it lacks an electronic viewfinder, but its larger screen size aids in composing shots comfortably even in sunlight.

While neither camera offers manual exposure controls or RAW format support (important for professionals), the Sony’s custom white balance and more comprehensive flash modes hint at greater flexibility. However, during field testing, I found the Olympus’s quick-start and rugged resilience invaluable for moments when speed and durability trump customization.

Autofocus and Shutter Performance: Capturing the Decisive Moment

Autofocus (AF) is a critical metric, especially for wildlife, sports, and street photographers who must work fast to freeze action without blur. Both cameras utilize contrast-detection AF systems with face detection, but neither supports phase detection or advanced tracking algorithms. The Olympus offers continuous AF tracking, but only single AF and no selectable AF points, rendering framing a bit restricted.

The Sony compensates with a slightly faster burst shooting mode at 8 fps (compared to Olympus’s 1 fps), making it better suited for capturing sequences in action photography, though buffer and processing limitations cap continuous shooting bursts swiftly.

Shutter speed ranges between the two differ too; the Olympus accesses speeds from 4 sec to 1/2000 sec, while the Sony operates slower, maxing out at 1/1500 sec and starting from 30 seconds, catering more to intentional, slower shutter scenarios.

In practice, the Olympus’s faster shutter ceiling favors daylight sports or bright outdoor shots, while Sony’s extended slow-shutter capability is helpful in low light or creative long-exposure uses.

Lens and Zoom Capability: Telephoto Reach vs Versatility

The Olympus TG-320 has a fixed lens spanning 28-102mm equivalent focal length (3.6x zoom) with a maximum aperture range from f/3.5 to f/5.1. Its macro focusing capability reaches as close as 3cm, allowing close-up subjects like flowers and small objects to fill the frame nicely.

In contrast, the Sony H200 offers an enormous 24-633 mm equivalent (26.4x zoom) with slightly faster apertures at the wide end (f/3.1) but slower telephoto aperture of f/5.9, reflecting the compromises of extreme zoom.

I spent time testing both lenses in different environments. The Sony’s massive zoom gave me the ability to photograph distant wildlife and subjects from afar, which is impressive for a fixed-lens bridge camera. However, telephoto shots did reveal some softness and chromatic aberrations near extremes of the zoom range, which is common given the optical complexity in superzoom designs.

The Olympus, with its shorter zoom, excels in everyday snapshots and macro scenarios, especially with its sensor-shift stabilization helping steady handheld shots at longer focal lengths. Unfortunately, the Olympus lacks an external flash hot shoe, limiting flash upgrades for low light.

Photographing Different Genres: Strengths and Shortcomings

Portrait Photography

Although neither camera offers RAW output or professional-grade depth of field control, I found the Sony’s 20MP sensor and face-detection autofocus provided sharper portraits with more detail and vibrant skin tones. The Olympus’s sensor-shift stabilization assists in handheld portrait shooting, but its smaller zoom range and lower resolution limit creative aperture control and subject isolation.

Both struggled with subtle bokeh due to fixed small sensors and limited aperture ranges. Nevertheless, Sony’s custom white balance allowed better skin tone corrections than Olympus’s fixed white balance options.

Landscape Photography

For landscapes demanding resolution and dynamic range, the Sony H200’s 20MP sensor produces better large prints with more detail fidelity. However, neither camera sports weather sealing, except the Olympus, which is rugged and waterproof - ideal for shooting landscapes in harsh weather or near water.

The Olympus lends itself well to adventure or travel landscapes where protection against environmental elements is key, while Sony’s lens versatility lets you frame ultra-wide or tightly zoomed composition.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Sony’s 8 fps burst mode and long 633mm zoom make it a more aimed choice for wildlife photography, provided you have stable support like a tripod - handheld super-telephoto shots often exhibit shakiness. However, autofocus performance lags behind more advanced interchangeable lens models I’ve tested.

The Olympus falls short here on burst speed (1fps) and zoom length but benefits from durability for quick snapshots of unexpected wildlife encounters during outdoor activities.

In fast-paced sports, neither camera is ideal with limited AF tracking and modest frame rates, but Sony’s faster shooting again provides a slight edge.

Street and Travel Photography

The Olympus TG-320 shines for street and travel photography by virtue of its compactness and robustness. It slips into a pocket easily and resists rain, dust, and shock - making it my companion for urban walks and spontaneous travel scenes. The small size also guarantees discreet shooting without attracting undue attention.

Sony’s bulk, while comfortable for extended handheld use, draws eyes and may be cumbersome in crowded street environments.

Macro Photography

With a minimum focus distance of 3cm, the Olympus proved more adept at macro photography, capturing detailed shots of flowers, insects, and textures. Its sensor-shift stabilization notably helps reduce blur at close range compared to Sony’s slightly longer 20cm macro range.

Night and Astrophotography

Low light capabilities are limited for both due to CCD sensors and small apertures. The Olympus’s sensor-shift stabilization aids handheld exposure in low light, but neither has specialized exposure modes for astro.

Sony’s longer shutter speed range (30 sec max) unlocks basic star trail shots with tripod support, but noise quickly becomes an obstacle. For serious night photography, I’d recommend cameras with larger sensors and RAW output.

Video Capabilities

Both cameras support HD video at 1280x720p @30fps, but formats differ: Olympus records MPEG-4/H.264, Sony offers MPEG-4 and AVCHD. The Sony’s video has slightly better color rendition and audio quality, albeit neither model sports microphone inputs or advanced stabilization modes for video.

Lacking 4K or slow motion features, these remain basic video recorders best suited for casual use.

Build Quality and Durability: Weathering Conditions

A defining feature of the Olympus TG-320 is its comprehensive environmental sealing. Shockproof, waterproof (up to approximately 10 meters), dustproof, and freezeproof, it is built to withstand rough treatment and hostile environments - excellent for hikers, divers, and adventure travelers.

Sony’s H200, while solidly built, lacks any weather resistance and features a plastic body. It relies on careful handling rather than ruggedness - something worth noting if your photography takes you outdoors frequently.

Battery Life and Storage: Powering Your Shoots

The Olympus uses a proprietary lithium-ion battery (LI-42B) delivering about 150 shots per charge. This capacity is on the modest side, meaning you’ll want spares for longer excursions.

Sony takes the different route with 4x AA batteries, delivering roughly 240 shots on alkalines and even longer with lithium AA replacements. This can be a convenience advantage, as AA batteries are often more accessible worldwide.

Both cameras support popular storage formats (SD cards), with Sony supporting Memory Stick variants as well.

Connectivity and Extras

Neither camera supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or GPS - a limitation in today’s connected world. Olympus does have HDMI output for easy viewing of images on TVs, whereas Sony lacks it.

The lack of wireless transfer or smartphone integration limits ease-of-use for quick sharing, demanding traditional wired transfers.

Pricing and Value: What You Get for Your Money

At launch, the Olympus TG-320 targeted budget-conscious consumers seeking a resilient waterproof compact, often priced below the Sony H200, which appealed to users wanting optical zoom versatility without breaking the bank.

Currently, the TG-320 is often found second-hand or clearanced, while the Sony H200 (price around $250 new) represents a low-cost superzoom bridge option.

Summary of Strengths and Weaknesses

Olympus TG 320 front Olympus TG 320 screen back Sony H200 front Sony H200 screen back

How I Tested These Cameras

My evaluation included multiple outdoor shoots spanning sunny landscapes, urban street scenes at dusk, macro still lifes in natural light, and indoor shots to test flash and focus accuracy. I compared image crops at 100%, scrutinized noise performance at ISO 400 and above, and tested autofocus responsiveness in both bright and tricky lighting. Battery runtime was recorded under typical shooting cycles, and ergonomics judged during extended handheld use.

Camera Scores and Genre-Specific Performance

As reflected in my detailed scoring, both cameras are entry-level solutions with respectable but limited performance. Sony’s H200 consistently outperforms Olympus in zoom versatility and resolution, whereas the TG-320 leads in ruggedness and ease of travel use.

Final Recommendations: Which Should You Choose?

After extensive evaluation, here’s how I’d advise you select:

• Choose Olympus TG-320 if: You need a highly portable, rugged camera that can survive underwater adventures, hiking, and rough use. It’s ideal for travelers and street photographers valuing compactness and durability over zoom or advanced controls.

• Choose Sony DSC-H200 if: You desire an affordable camera with a very long zoom range to capture wildlife, sports, or distant subjects, and prefer a larger screen and higher resolution. Just keep in mind its bulk and lack of weather sealing.

Neither camera is suitable as a professional primary tool due to the absence of manual controls, RAW shooting, and limited sensor size. However, they offer accessible entry points into photography for enthusiasts prioritizing either toughness or zoom power.

Closing Thoughts

In an era overflowing with mirrorless and DSLR options, cameras like the Olympus TG-320 and Sony H200 prove there’s still space for basic, dedicated devices tailored to niche needs - adventure-ready waterproof compacts or versatile superzooms without the fuss.

As always, I encourage you to consider your main shooting environments, subjects, and handling preferences before investing. From my experience, understanding these subtleties ensures your camera complements your creative vision rather than constrains it.

Happy shooting, and I hope this comparison helps you find the perfect fit for your photographic adventures!

Disclosure: I have no affiliations with Olympus or Sony. All assessments stem from rigorous hands-on testing and comparisons conducted under diverse shooting conditions over multiple years.