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Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55

Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
37
Overall
36
Olympus TG-820 iHS front
 
Sony SLT-A55 front
Portability
67
Imaging
56
Features
80
Overall
65

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 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
  • Released February 2012
Sony A55
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Boost to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 500g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
  • Launched August 2010
  • Updated by Sony A57
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Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 Overview

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus TG-820 iHS versus Sony A55, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the TG-820 iHS (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The TG-820 iHS was launched 18 months later than the A55 which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a concise summary of how the TG-820 iHS grades against the A55 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-820 iHS over the Sony A55

 TG-820 iHS A55 
LaunchedFebruary 2012August 2010More recent by 18 months
Screen resolution1030k921kCrisper screen (+109k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony A55 over the Olympus TG-820 iHS

 A55 TG-820 iHS 
Manual focus More precise focusing
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Olympus TG-820 iHS and Sony A55

 TG-820 iHS A55 
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen dimensions
Touch screen Absent Touch screen

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus TG-820 iHS has external dimensions of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Sony A55 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Examine the Olympus TG-820 iHS versus Sony A55 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the TG-820 iHS compared to the A55.

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-820 iHS and A55 is 92 and 67 respectively.

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it's tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The photograph below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-820 iHS and A55.

As you can tell, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-820 iHS featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A55 will resolve greater detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more modern TG-820 iHS is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS Portrait photography info
Sony A55 Portrait photography info
27
offers face detection focus
manual focus not available
manual mode not available
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
73
focusing manually
good resolution (16MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
offers face detection focusing
supports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS Street photography advice
Sony A55 Street photography advice
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proof
screen is fixed
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
77
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS as a Sports photography camera
Sony A55 as a Sports photography camera
34
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
offers tracking autofocus
environment proof
max frames per second low (5.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
terrible battery power (220 shots)
no phase detect auto focus
68
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (16MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports phase detect AF
bad battery pack (380 shots)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus TG-820 iHS
Travel photography with Sony A55
59
environment proof
built-in flash
relatively wide (28mm)
no Timelapse recording
terrible battery power (220 shots)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
62
good resolution (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
selfie friendly display
lack of Timelapse recording
bad battery pack (380 CIPA)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS Landscape photography factors
Sony A55 Landscape photography factors
38
relatively wide (28mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proof
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
manual mode not available
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW format
terrible battery power (220 shots)
no Timelapse recording
67
focusing manually
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
bad battery pack (380 CIPA)
lack of Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-820 iHS Vlogging details
Sony A55 Vlogging details
33
relatively wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
offers face detection focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.9)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
no external microphone port
78
selfie friendly display
image stabilization (Sensor based)
offers face detection focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
comes with external microphone support
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Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Sony A55 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-820 iHS and Sony A55
 Olympus TG-820 iHSSony SLT-A55
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus TG-820 iHS Sony SLT-A55
Type Waterproof Entry-Level DSLR
Released 2012-02-08 2010-08-24
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VI Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 3968 x 2976 4912 x 3264
Max native ISO 6400 12800
Max enhanced ISO - 25600
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points - 15
Cross type focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 28-140mm (5.0x) -
Maximum aperture f/3.9-5.9 -
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Amount of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Display sizing 3" 3"
Display resolution 1,030 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display tech HyperCrystal III TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,150 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Min shutter speed 4s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate 5.0 frames per sec 10.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 3.50 m 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
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
Max flash synchronize - 1/160s
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) 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 206g (0.45 pounds) 500g (1.10 pounds)
Physical dimensions 101 x 65 x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 73
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.0
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.4
DXO Low light rating not tested 816
Other
Battery life 220 images 380 images
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID LI-50B NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Retail price $500 $800