Canon S120 vs Olympus SH-50

Below, we are reviewing the Canon S120 versus Olympus SH-50, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Canon and Olympus. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the S120 (12MP) and SH-50 (16MP) and the S120 (1/1.7") and SH-50 (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The S120 was introduced 11 months later than the SH-50 which means that they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before going in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise summary of how the S120 grades vs the SH-50 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon PowerShot S120 and Olympus SH-50. The whole galleries are available at Canon S120 Gallery and Olympus SH-50 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and volume. The Canon S120 offers physical measurements of 100mm x 59mm x 29mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 217 grams (0.48 lbs) while the Olympus SH-50 has sizing of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check out the Canon S120 versus Olympus SH-50 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select during that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the S120 vs the SH-50.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the S120 and SH-50 is 92 and 88 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements merely by looking through technical specs. The visual here may give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the S120 and SH-50.

As you can tell, both the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The S120 using its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will render greater detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The younger S120 should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.