Olympus VG-160 vs Sony A290

Below is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus VG-160 and Sony A290, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the A290 (14MP) is pretty similar but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) possess different sensor sizing.

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The VG-160 was announced 20 months later than the A290 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a short summary of how the VG-160 matches up versus the A290 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-160 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 offers outer dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Olympus VG-160 and Sony A290 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using during that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the VG-160 versus the A290.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-160 and A290 is 96 and 66 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements just by reading specs. The photograph here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the VG-160 and A290.

All in all, each of these cameras offer the same exact megapixels albeit different sensor measurements. The VG-160 contains the tinier sensor which is going to make obtaining shallower depth of field harder. The more recent VG-160 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.