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Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290

Portability
90
Imaging
41
Features
51
Overall
45
Olympus Tough TG-4 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 front
Portability
94
Imaging
34
Features
28
Overall
31

Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 Key Specs

Olympus TG-4
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-100mm (F2.0-4.9) lens
  • 247g - 112 x 66 x 31mm
  • Revealed April 2015
  • Older Model is Olympus TG-3
  • Renewed by Olympus TG-5
Sony W290
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 98 x 57 x 23mm
  • Announced February 2009
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Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 Overview

Lets look a little more closely at the Olympus TG-4 versus Sony W290, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the TG-4 (16MP) and W290 (12MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The TG-4 was manufactured 6 years after the W290 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before we go right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short introduction of how the TG-4 matches up against the W290 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-4 over the Sony W290

 TG-4 W290 
AnnouncedApril 2015February 2009More modern by 75 months
Display resolution460k230kCrisper display (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony W290 over the Olympus TG-4

 W290 TG-4 

Common features in the Olympus TG-4 and Sony W290

 TG-4 W290 
Manually focus More exact focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Display size3"3"Same display measurements
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither provides Touch friendly display

Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 Physical Comparison

If you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-4 provides 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) and the Sony W290 has proportions of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

See the Olympus TG-4 versus Sony W290 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the TG-4 against the W290.

Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-4 and W290 is 90 and 94 respectively.

Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it can be difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizes simply by looking at specs. The picture underneath will offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-4 and W290.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same megapixels. You should anticipate the Olympus TG-4 to give extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The more recent TG-4 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus TG-4 Portrait photography advice
Sony W290 Portrait photography advice
47
has manual focus
decent megapixels (16MP)
comes with face detection focusing
supports RAW formats
no manual control
no external flash support
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
27
has manual focus
no manual mode
cannot use external flash
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus TG-4
Street photography with Sony W290
65
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports RAW formats
environment sealing
screen is fixed
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
more heavy than others (247 grams)
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
no moving screen
small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-4 Sports photography advice
Sony W290 Sports photography advice
48
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
comes with tracking autofocus
environment sealing
great battery pack (380 per charge)
max fps very slow (5.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
very slow continuous shooting (2.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
has no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-4 as a Travel photography camera
Sony W290 as a Travel photography camera
74
great battery pack (380 per charge)
environment sealing
decent megapixels (16MP)
has built in flash
pretty wide (25mm)
very good maximum aperture (f2.0)
more heavy than others (247 grams)
screen is not selfie friendly
57
built-in flash
really wide (28mm)
no Timelapse mode
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-4 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony W290 as a Landscape photography camera
62
has manual focus
pretty wide (25mm)
very good maximum aperture (f2.0)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
supports RAW formats
environment sealing
great battery pack (380 CIPA)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
no manual control
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
41
has manual focus
really wide (28mm)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
no manual mode
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
no Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-4 Vlogging advice
Sony W290 Vlogging advice
34
pretty wide (25mm)
very good maximum aperture (f2.0)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
comes with face detection focusing
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
missing external microphone port
more heavy than others (247 grams)
28
really wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
low res video (1280 x 720 resolution)
no microphone socket
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Olympus TG-4 vs Sony W290 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-4 and Sony W290
 Olympus Tough TG-4Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus Tough TG-4 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290
Category Waterproof Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2015-04-13 2009-02-17
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VII -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 6400 3200
Lowest native ISO 100 80
RAW files
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 25 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 25-100mm (4.0x) 28-140mm (5.0x)
Maximum aperture f/2.0-4.9 f/3.3-5.2
Macro focusing range 1cm 10cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Screen resolution 460 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 secs 2 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shutter rate 5.0 frames/s 2.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 7.90 m (at ISO 1600) 3.90 m
Flash modes Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off, LED Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 247 gr (0.54 pounds) 167 gr (0.37 pounds)
Physical dimensions 112 x 66 x 31mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.2") 98 x 57 x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 380 pictures -
Style of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID LI-92B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Price at release $379 $230