Olympus TG-4 vs Sony A500

On this page, we will be analyzing the Olympus TG-4 vs Sony A500, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the TG-4 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the TG-4 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

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The TG-4 was introduced 5 years after the A500 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-4 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the TG-4 scores against the A500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Tough TG-4 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-4 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-4 provides outside measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs) while 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).

Compare the Olympus TG-4 vs Sony A500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the TG-4 and the A500.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-4 and A500 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizes just by looking at specs. The image here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-4 and A500.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The TG-4 having a tinier sensor will make getting bokeh harder and the Olympus TG-4 will give you more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The younger TG-4 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.