Canon SX40 HS vs Olympus SH-3

Below, we are analyzing the Canon SX40 HS and Olympus SH-3, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by competitors Canon and Olympus. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the SX40 HS (12MP) and SH-3 (16MP) but they come with the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SX40 HS was brought out 5 years earlier than the SH-3 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Canon SX40 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the SX40 HS scores against the SH-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX40 HS & Olympus Stylus SH-3. The entire galleries are available at Canon SX40 HS Gallery & Olympus SH-3 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Canon SX40 HS comes with external measurements of 123mm x 92mm x 108mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 4.3") with a weight of 600 grams (1.32 lbs) whilst the Olympus SH-3 has sizing of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Check out the Canon SX40 HS and Olympus SH-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the SX40 HS against the SH-3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SX40 HS and SH-3 is 64 and 88 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing merely by looking through specifications. The graphic here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SX40 HS and SH-3.

To sum up, both the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Olympus SH-3 to render greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The older SX40 HS will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.