Canon SX230 HS vs Olympus SP-100

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Canon SX230 HS versus Olympus SP-100, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by companies Canon and Olympus. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the SX230 HS (12MP) and SP-100 (16MP) but they enjoy the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The SX230 HS was launched 3 years before the SP-100 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Canon SX230 HS being a Compact camera and the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving in to a complete comparison, below is a brief view of how the SX230 HS scores against the SP-100 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Canon PowerShot SX230 HS & Olympus Stylus SP-100. The complete galleries are viewable at Canon SX230 HS Gallery & Olympus SP-100 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX230 HS provides exterior dimensions of 106mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 223 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Olympus SP-100 has dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") along with a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs).

Look at the Canon SX230 HS versus Olympus SP-100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the SX230 HS and the SP-100.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the SX230 HS and SP-100 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through specifications. The visual below should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SX230 HS and SP-100.

To sum up, each of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Olympus SP-100 to result in more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older SX230 HS will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.