Sony TX20 vs Olympus TG-870 Comparison

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Sony TX20

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Olympus TG-870

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Sony TX20 vs Olympus TG-870 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing TX20 and TG-870, two Ultracompact cameras from Sony and Olympus. Sony TX20 was introduced to market in February 2012 and Olympus TG-870 was launched in January 2016. As you can see, TX20 is 4 years older than TG-870. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Ultracompact cameras. Out of 152 cameras in this class, Sony TX20 is ranked #9 with an overall score of 41 and Olympus TG-870 is ranked #3 with an overall score of 47.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony TX20 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-02-28

16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 3200

25-100 mm F3.5-4.6 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.00" Fixed Type Screen

10.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

133g. 96 x 56 x 18 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Olympus TG-870 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-01-06

16MP - 1/2.3' BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)

21-105 mm F3.5-5.7 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3.00" Tilting Screen

7.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

221g. 113 x 64 x 28 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

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Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 over Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 7.0fps	3 fps faster
Weight	133 g vs 221 g	88 g lighter
Max Aperture - Tele	4.60 vs 5.70	faster lens at tele

CHECK TX20 PRICE

Reasons to choose Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected	Better connectivity
LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
GPS	BuiltIn vs None	track your location
Max ISO	6.400 vs 3.200	100% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter	1/2000s vs 1/1600s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	300 shots vs 250 shots	50 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Focal Length - Wide	21mm vs 25mm	4 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	105mm vs 100mm	5 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	5× vs 4×	more flexible focal coverage
Flash Coverage	4.0m vs 3.7m	0.3m longer range
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

CHECK TG-870 PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	922k dots vs 921k dots	High resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 7.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions

Common Weaknesses of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20 and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870

External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control

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Sony TX20 vs Olympus TG-870: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony TX20 has external dimensions of 96 x 56 x 18 mm (3.78 x 2.2 x 0.71″) and weighs 133 g (0.29 lb / 4.69 oz) (including batteries). Olympus TG-870 has external dimensions of 113 x 64 x 28 mm (4.45 x 2.52 x 1.1″) and weighs 221 g (0.49 lb / 7.80 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870. Sony TX20 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 8mm shorter and 10mm thinner than Olympus TG-870.

Comparison image of Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870.

Comparison image of Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870.

Top View Comparison image of Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony TX20 is significantly lighter (88g ) than the Olympus TG-870 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

TX20

TG-870

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

TX20

TG-870

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Olympus TG-870 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Sony TX20 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to TG-870.

Sony TX20 vs Olympus TG-870: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 have 16.0 MP resolution sensors but Sony TX20's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Olympus TG-870's sensor is 1/2.3' (6.17 x 4.55 mm ).

Since Olympus TG-870's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Sony TX20.

Below you can see the TX20 and TG-870 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 Cameras

Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Sony TX20 vs Olympus TG-870 Lens Specs Comparison

Sony TX20 features a 25-100 mm F3.5-4.6 4× zoom lens whereas Olympus TG-870 features a 21-105 mm F3.5-5.7 5× zoom lens.

Olympus TG-870 has 4mm wider coverage than the Sony TX20. Both cameras has a max aperture of f3.50 at the wide end. On the tele end, Olympus TG-870 has 5mm longer telezoom reach than the Sony TX20. However, with a max aperture of f4.60, Sony TX20 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

TX20

TG-870

Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

TX20

TG-870

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

TX20

TG-870

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

TX20

TG-870

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony TX20 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-870 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Sony TX20 for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus TG-870 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
21 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Sony TX20 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-870 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Wireless Connection
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Focus Points
105 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details

Sony TX20 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus TG-870 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
133g
Body Thickness 18mm
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
221g
Environmental Sealings
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Sony TX20 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-870 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Focus Mode
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Environmental Sealings
Built-in GPS
21 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Sony TX20 vs Olympus TG-870: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony TX20 and Olympus TG-870 scores compare:

Sony TX20

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #14 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #728 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-870

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #6 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #539 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-870 has a higher Overall Score than the Sony TX20 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Olympus TG-870 vs Sony TX20 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20	Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870
Brand	Sony	Olympus
Announced	2012-02-28	2016-01-06
Body Type	Ultracompact	Ultracompact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3'
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	125 ISO	125 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	n/a	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-100 mm (4×)	21-105 mm (5×)
Max Aperture	F3.5-4.6	F3.5-5.7
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Tilting
Size	3.00"	3.00"
Resolution	922k dots	921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1600s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	3.70 m	4.00 m (at ISO 1600)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	10.0 fps	7.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Eye-Fi Connected	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	133g	221g
Dimensions	96 x 56 x 18mm	113 x 64 x 28mm
Battery Life	250 shots	300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction