Canon SX50 HS vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

Following is a extended comparison of the Canon SX50 HS vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by manufacturers Canon and Olympus. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the SX50 HS (12MP) and SZ-16 iHS (16MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SX50 HS was unveiled at a similar time to the SZ-16 iHS so they are of a similar generation. The two cameras have different body design with the Canon SX50 HS being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a short overview of how the SX50 HS scores versus the SZ-16 iHS for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX50 HS and Olympus SZ-16 iHS. The full galleries are viewable at Canon SX50 HS Gallery and Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera, you have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Canon SX50 HS has outside dimensions of 123mm x 87mm x 106mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 4.2") along with a weight of 595 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Compare the Canon SX50 HS vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the SX50 HS compared to the SZ-16 iHS.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SX50 HS and SZ-16 iHS is 65 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizes simply by looking through technical specs. The image underneath will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SX50 HS and SZ-16 iHS.

As you can tell, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You should expect to see the Olympus SZ-16 iHS to render greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively.