Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A550

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A550, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the TG-820 iHS (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is relatively close but the TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizing.

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The TG-820 iHS was revealed 2 years after the A550 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the TG-820 iHS grades vs the A550 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus TG-820 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are provided at Olympus TG-820 iHS Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry around your camera, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-820 iHS has got external measurements of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") having a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) while the Sony A550 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A550 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the TG-820 iHS against the A550.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-820 iHS and A550 is 92 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes purely by viewing specs. The image here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-820 iHS and A550.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-820 iHS having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A550 will render more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger TG-820 iHS should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.