Olympus TG-4 vs Sony A850

Here, we are matching up the Olympus TG-4 and Sony A850, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the TG-4 (16MP) and A850 (25MP) and the TG-4 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The TG-4 was unveiled 5 years after the A850 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-4 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summary of how the TG-4 scores versus the A850 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Tough TG-4 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The full galleries are available at Olympus TG-4 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-4 has got physical measurements of 112mm x 66mm x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") having a weight of 247 grams (0.54 lbs) whilst the Sony A850 has dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Check out the Olympus TG-4 and Sony A850 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the TG-4 against the A850.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TG-4 and A850 is 90 and 54 respectively.

Sometimes, it is hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes purely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture here may provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-4 and A850.

Clearly, each of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-4 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A850 will result in extra detail having an extra 9MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos way more aggressively. The newer TG-4 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.