Olympus TG-830 iHS vs Sony A550

In this write-up, we are analyzing the Olympus TG-830 iHS versus Sony A550, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the TG-830 iHS (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the TG-830 iHS (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The TG-830 iHS was manufactured 3 years after the A550 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus TG-830 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the TG-830 iHS scores versus the A550 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus TG-830 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-830 iHS Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-830 iHS offers physical dimensions of 109mm x 67mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") and a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Sony A550 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Olympus TG-830 iHS versus Sony A550 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the TG-830 iHS vs the A550.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-830 iHS and A550 is 91 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading through technical specs. The pic below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-830 iHS and A550.

As you have seen, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The TG-830 iHS because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus TG-830 iHS will give greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The newer TG-830 iHS is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.