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Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500

Portability
91
Imaging
36
Features
40
Overall
37
Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 front
Portability
63
Imaging
52
Features
52
Overall
52

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 Key Specs

Olympus TG-1 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 230g - 112 x 67 x 30mm
  • Introduced May 2012
Sony A500
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Introduced August 2009
  • Successor is Sony A560
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Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 Overview

Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus TG-1 iHS and Sony A500, one being a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the TG-1 iHS (12MP) and the A500 (12MP) is relatively comparable but the TG-1 iHS (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

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The TG-1 iHS was released 2 years later than the A500 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-1 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a comprehensive comparison, below is a short summary of how the TG-1 iHS scores against the A500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-1 iHS over the Sony A500

 TG-1 iHS A500 
IntroducedMay 2012August 2009Fresher by 33 months
Screen resolution610k230kClearer screen (+380k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Olympus TG-1 iHS

 A500 TG-1 iHS 
Manual focus Dial accurate focusing
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen

Common features in the Olympus TG-1 iHS and Sony A500

 TG-1 iHS A500 
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen dimensions
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Lack of Touch friendly screen

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera often, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-1 iHS comes with physical dimensions of 112mm x 67mm x 30mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") and a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) and the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-1 iHS and Sony A500 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 change depending on the lens you choose at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the TG-1 iHS against the A500.

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-1 iHS and A500 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it can be difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizing only by going through a spec sheet. The visual underneath will help give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-1 iHS and A500.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got the exact same megapixel count albeit different sensor sizing. The TG-1 iHS features the smaller sensor which is going to make achieving shallow depth of field tougher. The more recent TG-1 iHS should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS Portrait photography details
Sony A500 Portrait photography details
27
has face detect focusing
focusing manually not possible
lack of manual exposure
no external flash support
low MP (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
63
has manual focus
sensor size is good (APS-C)
features face detection focus
delivers RAW files
megapixel count low (12MP)
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS Street photography advice
Sony A500 Street photography advice
61
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proofing
screen does not articulate
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
74
tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS Sports photography advice
Sony A500 Sports photography advice
40
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has tracking focus
environment proofing
good battery power (350 CIPA)
slow fps (3.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
low MP (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
51
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports phase detect auto focus
slow frames per second (5.0 frames per second)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
low battery life (520 shots)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS as a Travel photography camera
Sony A500 as a Travel photography camera
68
good battery power (350 shots)
environment proofing
flash built-in
reasonably wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
does not have Timelapse recording
low MP (12MP)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
43
flash built-in
no Timelapse mode
low battery life (520 per charge)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A500 as a Landscape photography camera
46
reasonably wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
screen size is good (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
environment proofing
good battery power (350 shots)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of manual exposure
low MP (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format
does not have Timelapse recording
60
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
low battery life (520 per charge)
no Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-1 iHS Vlogging features
Sony A500 Vlogging features
36
reasonably wide (25mm)
great maximum aperture (f2.0)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
has face detect focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
does not have microphone support
9
lack of video recording
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Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-1 iHS and Sony A500
 Olympus Tough TG-1 iHSSony Alpha DSLR-A500
General Information
Company Olympus Sony
Model Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS Sony Alpha DSLR-A500
Category Waterproof Entry-Level DSLR
Introduced 2012-05-08 2009-08-27
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VI Bionz
Sensor type BSI-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 12 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 3968 x 2976 4272 x 2848
Highest native ISO 6400 12800
Minimum native ISO 100 200
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points - 9
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 25-100mm (4.0x) -
Highest aperture f/2.0-4.9 -
Amount of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display diagonal 3" 3"
Display resolution 610k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.53x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate 3.0 frames per sec 5.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range - 12.00 m
Flash options - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize - 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 -
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 None
Video data format H.264 -
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 230 grams (0.51 pounds) 630 grams (1.39 pounds)
Dimensions 112 x 67 x 30mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 64
DXO Color Depth score not tested 21.8
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 11.6
DXO Low light score not tested 772
Other
Battery life 350 photographs 520 photographs
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI90B NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes (2 and 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type - SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Retail pricing $399 $638