Olympus TG-1 iHS vs Sony A55

Below, we are looking at the Olympus TG-1 iHS and Sony A55, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the TG-1 iHS (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the TG-1 iHS (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The TG-1 iHS was brought out 21 months later than the A55 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-1 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summary of how the TG-1 iHS grades versus the A55 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS and Sony SLT-A55. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-1 iHS Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus TG-1 iHS comes with outer dimensions of 112mm x 67mm x 30mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs) whilst the Sony A55 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Examine the Olympus TG-1 iHS and Sony A55 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the TG-1 iHS and the A55.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-1 iHS and A55 is 91 and 67 respectively.

Often, its tough to visualise the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading through technical specs. The graphic below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-1 iHS and A55.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TG-1 iHS featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A55 will resolve extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The younger TG-1 iHS will have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.