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Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900

Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
37
Overall
36
Olympus TG-820 iHS front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 front
Portability
54
Imaging
66
Features
62
Overall
64

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 Key Specs

Olympus TG-820 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.9-5.9) lens
  • 206g - 101 x 65 x 26mm
  • Introduced February 2012
Sony A900
(Full Review)
  • 25MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 895g - 156 x 117 x 82mm
  • Announced October 2008
  • Renewed by Sony A99
Photography Glossary

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 Overview

Following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus TG-820 iHS versus Sony A900, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the TG-820 iHS (12MP) and A900 (25MP) and the TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") and A900 (Full frame) have different sensor size.

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The TG-820 iHS was released 3 years after the A900 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A900 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the TG-820 iHS scores vs the A900 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-820 iHS over the Sony A900

 TG-820 iHS A900 
AnnouncedFebruary 2012October 2008More modern by 41 months
Screen resolution1030k922kClearer screen (+108k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony A900 over the Olympus TG-820 iHS

 A900 TG-820 iHS 
Manually focus Dial precise focusing

Common features in the Olympus TG-820 iHS and Sony A900

 TG-820 iHS A900 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen size3"3"Same screen size
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch screen Neither contains Touch screen

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 Physical Comparison

When you are going to carry around your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-820 iHS has got external dimensions of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") and a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Sony A900 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-820 iHS versus Sony A900 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the TG-820 iHS and the A900.

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-820 iHS and A900 is 92 and 54 respectively.

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it's hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizes just by reading technical specs. The picture here will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-820 iHS and A900.

As you have seen, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-820 iHS because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A900 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 13 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more modern TG-820 iHS provides a benefit in sensor tech.

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus TG-820 iHS
Portrait photography with Sony A900
27
supports face detect focus
no manual focus
no manual control
cannot use external flash
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
71
has manual focus
MP count amazing (25MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
saves RAW files
no liveview feature
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS Street photography factors
Sony A900 Street photography factors
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather sealing
no moving screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
66
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
saves RAW files
environment sealing
screen does not articulate
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS Sports photography features
Sony A900 Sports photography features
34
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports tracking focus
weather sealing
painfully slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
MP count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
low battery (220 CIPA)
lacks phase detect auto focus
70
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000s)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count amazing (25MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
environment sealing
supports phase detect auto focus
no liveview feature
slow continuous shooting (5.0 frames per second)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS as a Travel photography camera
Sony A900 as a Travel photography camera
59
weather sealing
built-in flash
really wide (28mm)
missing Timelapse function
low battery (220 CIPA)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.9)
54
environment sealing
MP count amazing (25 megapixels)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A900 as a Landscape photography camera
38
really wide (28mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather sealing
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.9)
no manual control
MP count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
low battery (220 per charge)
missing Timelapse function
72
has manual focus
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count amazing (25MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
saves RAW files
environment sealing
has dual storage slots
no liveview feature
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS Vlogging features
Sony A900 Vlogging features
33
really wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect focus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
slow maximum aperture (f3.9)
screen is not selfie friendly
missing microphone support
9
can't record video
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Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A900 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-820 iHS and Sony A900
 Olympus TG-820 iHSSony Alpha DSLR-A900
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Sony
Model Olympus TG-820 iHS Sony Alpha DSLR-A900
Category Waterproof Advanced DSLR
Introduced 2012-02-08 2008-10-22
Body design Compact Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VI Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Full frame
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 35.9 x 24mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 861.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 25MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 3968 x 2976 6048 x 4032
Max native ISO 6400 6400
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 28-140mm (5.0x) -
Highest aperture f/3.9-5.9 -
Macro focus distance 1cm -
Amount of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 1,030k dot 922k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display technology HyperCrystal III TFT Color LCD TFT Xtra Fine color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.74x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/8000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 5.0 frames/s 5.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 3.50 m no built-in flash
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync - 1/250 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps)1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) -
Max video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 -
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None 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 206 grams (0.45 lb) 895 grams (1.97 lb)
Physical dimensions 101 x 65 x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") 156 x 117 x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 79
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.7
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.3
DXO Low light score not tested 1431
Other
Battery life 220 shots 880 shots
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI-50B NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC Compact Flash (Type I or II), Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, UDMA Mode 5, Supports FAT12 / FAT16 / FAT32
Storage slots 1 Dual
Retail cost $500 $2,736