Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290
94 Imaging
37 Features
38 Overall
37
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66 Imaging
54 Features
47 Overall
51
Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 24-300mm (F3.0-5.9) lens
- 158g - 101 x 58 x 29mm
- Revealed February 2011
- Replaced the Olympus VR-320
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Introduced June 2010
- Older Model is Sony A230
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Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290 Overview
Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the VR-330 (14MP) and the A290 (14MP) is very well matched but the VR-330 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.
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The VR-330 was unveiled 9 months later than the A290 so they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VR-330 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving into a full comparison, here is a quick summation of how the VR-330 matches up vs the A290 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-330 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are provided at Olympus VR-330 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus VR-330 over the Sony A290
VR-330 | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | February 2011 | ![]() | June 2010 | Fresher by 9 months |
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Olympus VR-330
A290 | VR-330 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More accurate focus |
Common features in the Olympus VR-330 and Sony A290
VR-330 | A290 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Lacking Touch display |
Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is planning to carry your camera, you have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VR-330 features physical measurements of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).
Look at the Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the VR-330 versus the A290.
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Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VR-330 and A290 is 94 and 66 respectively.
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Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it can be hard to visualize the gap between sensor sizing purely by checking technical specs. The photograph underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the VR-330 and A290.
As you have seen, each of the cameras feature the identical megapixel count but different sensor sizing. The VR-330 has got the tinier sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field trickier. The newer VR-330 provides a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.
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Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Olympus VR-330 vs Sony A290 Specifications
Olympus VR-330 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus VR-330 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 |
Category | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2011-02-08 | 2010-06-09 |
Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic III | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 14MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 4592 x 3056 |
Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Autofocus tracking | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | - | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens zoom range | 24-300mm (12.5x) | - |
Max aperture | f/3.0-5.9 | - |
Macro focusing distance | 1cm | - |
Number of lenses | - | 143 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen diagonal | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
Resolution of screen | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Screen technology | TFT Color LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.55x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | - | 3.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 4.70 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Maximum 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) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
Video file format | Motion JPEG | - |
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 | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 158 gr (0.35 lbs) | 549 gr (1.21 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 101 x 58 x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 66 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.5 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 615 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 290 shots |
Battery format | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LI-42B | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC | Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at launch | $220 | $600 |