Clicky

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
40
Overall
40
Olympus TG-830 iHS front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 front
Portability
66
Imaging
54
Features
47
Overall
51

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 Key Specs

Olympus TG-830 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.9-5.9) lens
  • 214g - 109 x 67 x 28mm
  • Launched January 2013
Sony A290
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
  • Released June 2010
  • Superseded the Sony A230
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 Overview

Here, we are reviewing the Olympus TG-830 iHS and Sony A290, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-830 iHS (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is very close but the TG-830 iHS (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizes.

Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

The TG-830 iHS was revealed 2 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-830 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a short highlight of how the TG-830 iHS matches up against the A290 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus TG-830 iHS over the Sony A290

 TG-830 iHS A290 
ReleasedJanuary 2013June 2010More recent by 32 months
Display size3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kCrisper display (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Olympus TG-830 iHS

 A290 TG-830 iHS 
Manual focus Dial accurate focus

Common features in the Olympus TG-830 iHS and Sony A290

 TG-830 iHS A290 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch friendly display Missing Touch friendly display

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison

When you are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-830 iHS has outer dimensions of 109mm x 67mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Sony A290 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus TG-830 iHS and Sony A290 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the TG-830 iHS compared to the A290.

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-830 iHS and A290 is 91 and 66 respectively.

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements simply by looking through specs. The graphic below may give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-830 iHS and A290.

All in all, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The TG-830 iHS using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Olympus TG-830 iHS will render more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The newer TG-830 iHS should have an edge in sensor tech.

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS Portrait photography advice
Sony A290 Portrait photography advice
35
good resolution (16MP)
comes with face detect focus
focusing manually not possible
lack of manual exposure
cannot use external flash
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
65
has manual focus
MP count decent (14 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
comes with face detection focus
exports RAW files
does not have liveview
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Street Comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS Street photography factors
Sony A290 Street photography factors
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather sealing
no articulating screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
66
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
no moving screen
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS Sports photography highlights
Sony A290 Sports photography highlights
48
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (16MP)
comes with tracking focus
weather sealing
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no phase detect auto focus
55
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (14MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
has phase detect auto focus
does not have liveview
very slow continuous shooting (3.0 frames per second)
not so great battery power (290 shots)
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS Travel photography advice
Sony A290 Travel photography advice
67
weather sealing
good resolution (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
decently wide (28mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
display isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.9)
53
MP count decent (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
missing Time Lapse mode
not so great battery power (290 CIPA)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS Landscape photography highlights
Sony A290 Landscape photography highlights
45
decently wide (28mm)
good sized screen (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (16MP)
weather sealing
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.9)
lack of manual exposure
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
58
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
MP count decent (14 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
small screen (2.7")
does not have liveview
not so great battery power (290 shots)
missing Time Lapse mode
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-830 iHS Vlogging advice
Sony A290 Vlogging advice
33
decently wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
slow max aperture (f3.9)
display isn't selfie friendly
doesn't have mic support
9
lack of video recording
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A290 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-830 iHS and Sony A290
 Olympus TG-830 iHSSony Alpha DSLR-A290
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus TG-830 iHS Sony Alpha DSLR-A290
Category Waterproof Entry-Level DSLR
Launched 2013-01-08 2010-06-09
Body design Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by - Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4592 x 3056
Maximum native ISO 6400 3200
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points - 9
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 28-140mm (5.0x) -
Highest aperture f/3.9-5.9 -
Macro focus range 1cm -
Number of lenses - 143
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of screen 460k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 4s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting speed - 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range - 10.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) -
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video file format 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 BuiltIn None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 214g (0.47 pounds) 549g (1.21 pounds)
Physical dimensions 109 x 67 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 66
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.6
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 11.5
DXO Low light score not tested 615
Other
Battery life 300 images 290 images
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI-50B NP-FH50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC
Storage slots 1 1
Launch pricing $0 $600