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Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35

Portability
96
Imaging
37
Features
24
Overall
31
Olympus VG-120 front
 
Sony SLT-A35 front
Portability
69
Imaging
57
Features
70
Overall
62

Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 Key Specs

Olympus VG-120
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
  • 120g - 96 x 57 x 19mm
  • Announced January 2011
Sony A35
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 415g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
  • Announced September 2011
  • Succeeded the Sony A33
  • Refreshed by Sony A37
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Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 Overview

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus VG-120 versus Sony A35, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the VG-120 (14MP) and the A35 (16MP) is relatively close but the VG-120 (1/2.3") and A35 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The VG-120 was announced 8 months prior to the A35 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A35 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short overview of how the VG-120 grades versus the A35 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus VG-120 over the Sony A35

 VG-120 A35 

Reasons to pick Sony A35 over the Olympus VG-120

 A35 VG-120 
AnnouncedSeptember 2011January 2011More recent by 8 months
Focus manually Dial accurate focus
Screen resolution921k230kSharper screen (+691k dot)

Common features in the Olympus VG-120 and Sony A35

 VG-120 A35 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen dimensions
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch screen Neither comes with Touch screen

Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 Physical Comparison

For those who are going to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VG-120 comes with exterior measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) and the Sony A35 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 415 grams (0.91 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VG-120 versus Sony A35 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the VG-120 and the A35.

Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VG-120 and A35 is 96 and 69 respectively.

Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 top view buttons comparison

Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it can be hard to see the difference in sensor measurements merely by researching specifications. The visual here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-120 and A35.

To sum up, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The VG-120 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A35 will result in extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures more aggressively. The older VG-120 will be behind in sensor innovation.

Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 sensor size comparison

Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus VG-120
Portrait photography with Sony A35
33
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
includes face detection autofocus
manual focus not available
manual exposure not possible
cannot use external flash
very small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
74
you can focus manually
decent MP (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
features face detection focusing
supports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Street photography information
Sony A35 Street photography information
48
fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
71
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
lighter than average in class (415g)
good ISO range (25,600)
fixed screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Sports photography information
Sony A35 Sports photography information
26
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
no shutter priority
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor (1/2.3")
not so great battery (160 shots)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
61
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
comes with phase detect AF
max fps low (6.0 fps)
terrible battery pack (440 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Travel photography factors
Sony A35 Travel photography factors
62
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
flash built-in
rather wide (26mm)
does not have Time Lapse recording
not so great battery (160 shots)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
slow max aperture (f2.8)
59
lighter than average in class (415 grams)
decent MP (16MP)
built-in flash
missing Time Lapse mode
terrible battery pack (440 CIPA)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Landscape photography highlights
Sony A35 Landscape photography highlights
36
rather wide (26mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
manual focus not available
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
manual exposure not possible
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
not so great battery (160 shots)
does not have Time Lapse recording
69
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
good ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW formats
terrible battery pack (440 shots)
missing Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus VG-120
Vlogging with Sony A35
28
rather wide (26mm)
includes face detection autofocus
slow max aperture (f2.8)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
does not have image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external mic socket
36
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
features face detection focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does have external mic jack
lighter than average in class (415 grams)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Olympus VG-120 vs Sony A35 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus VG-120 and Sony A35
 Olympus VG-120Sony SLT-A35
General Information
Brand Olympus Sony
Model type Olympus VG-120 Sony SLT-A35
Type Ultracompact Entry-Level DSLR
Announced 2011-01-06 2011-09-20
Body design Ultracompact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic III Bionz
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4288 x 3216 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 1600 25600
Min native ISO 80 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points - 15
Cross type focus points - 3
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 26-130mm (5.0x) -
Max aperture f/2.8-6.5 -
Macro focusing distance 7cm -
Number of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of screen 230k dot 921k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen technology TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,150k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Min shutter speed 4 seconds 30 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shutter speed - 6.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 4.40 m 12.00 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash sync - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30, 15fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15fps) 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 120g (0.26 pounds) 415g (0.91 pounds)
Physical dimensions 96 x 57 x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 74
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.3
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 12.7
DXO Low light rating not tested 763
Other
Battery life 160 images 440 images
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID LI-70B NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots One One
Pricing at release $190 $598