Canon SX1 IS vs Olympus SZ-11

Following is a extended review of the Canon SX1 IS vs Olympus SZ-11, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by brands Canon and Olympus. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the SX1 IS (10MP) and SZ-11 (14MP) but they use the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SX1 IS was unveiled 3 years prior to the SZ-11 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Canon SX1 IS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the SX1 IS matches up against the SZ-11 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX1 IS and Olympus SZ-11. The full galleries are viewable at Canon SX1 IS Gallery and Olympus SZ-11 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Canon SX1 IS comes with outer measurements of 128mm x 88mm x 88mm (5.0" x 3.5" x 3.5") having a weight of 615 grams (1.36 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-11 has proportions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Canon SX1 IS vs Olympus SZ-11 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the SX1 IS vs the SZ-11.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SX1 IS and SZ-11 is 64 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes simply by viewing a spec sheet. The image here may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SX1 IS and SZ-11.

As you can see, each of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Olympus SZ-11 to result in more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics much more aggressively. The more aged SX1 IS will be behind with regard to sensor technology.