Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A290

Below, we will be comparing the Olympus TG-820 iHS versus Sony A290, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TG-820 iHS (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The TG-820 iHS was manufactured 21 months later than the A290 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a more detailed comparison, below is a concise view of how the TG-820 iHS matches up versus the A290 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus TG-820 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus TG-820 iHS Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-820 iHS has outer measurements of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") and a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-820 iHS versus Sony A290 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the TG-820 iHS versus the A290.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-820 iHS and A290 is 92 and 66 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by looking at technical specs. The photograph here might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-820 iHS and A290.

As you can tell, both of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The TG-820 iHS due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A290 will give you extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The younger TG-820 iHS is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.