Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A290
95 Imaging
35 Features
34 Overall
34
66 Imaging
53 Features
47 Overall
50
Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A290 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
- 152g - 102 x 60 x 21mm
- Announced August 2012
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Announced June 2010
- Old Model is Sony A230
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Lets take a more detailed look at the Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A290, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the VH-515 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the VH-515 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe VH-515 was manufactured 2 years after the A290 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the VH-515 scores vs the A290 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VH-515 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are available at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus VH-515 over the Sony A290
| VH-515 | A290 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | August 2012 | June 2010 | More modern by 27 months | |
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 460k | 230k | Sharper screen (+230k dot) | |
| Touch screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Olympus VH-515
| A290 | VH-515 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Dial accurate focusing |
Common features in the Olympus VH-515 and Sony A290
| VH-515 | A290 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Selfie screen | Neither contains selfie screen |
Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus VH-515 has got outside measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") along with a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).
Examine the Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A290 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the VH-515 against the A290.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the VH-515 and A290 is 95 and 66 respectively.
Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it can be tough to visualise the difference in sensor sizes simply by checking out technical specs. The image below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the VH-515 and A290.
As you can tell, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The VH-515 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony A290 will provide extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more recent VH-515 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.
Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus VH-515 vs Sony A290 Specifications
| Olympus VH-515 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus VH-515 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 |
| Class | Small Sensor Compact | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Announced | 2012-08-21 | 2010-06-09 |
| Physical type | Compact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic III+ | Bionz |
| Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 369.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12MP | 14MP |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Highest native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens focal range | 26-130mm (5.0x) | - |
| Maximal aperture | f/2.8-6.5 | - |
| Macro focus range | 5cm | - |
| Total lenses | - | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3 inch | 2.7 inch |
| Resolution of display | 460 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch display | ||
| Display tech | TFT Color LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.55x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter rate | 2.0fps | 3.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 4.70 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | - | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30,15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 180 (30,15 fps) | - |
| Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
| Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264 | - |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 152 grams (0.34 lbs) | 549 grams (1.21 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 102 x 60 x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | not tested | 66 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 22.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 11.5 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 615 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 290 shots |
| Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | LI-50B | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Retail pricing | $648 | $600 |