Nikon L21 vs Olympus SH-50

Lets look much closer at the Nikon L21 and Olympus SH-50, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Nikon and Olympus. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the L21 (8MP) and SH-50 (16MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The L21 was announced 3 years before the SH-50 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the L21 grades against the SH-50 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix L21 and Olympus SH-50. The whole galleries are available at Nikon L21 Gallery and Olympus SH-50 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Nikon L21 features outside dimensions of 92mm x 67mm x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") with a weight of 169 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Olympus SH-50 has proportions of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon L21 and Olympus SH-50 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you choose at that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the L21 and the SH-50.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the L21 and SH-50 is 93 and 88 respectively.

Usually, it is tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements purely by looking at specifications. The photograph underneath might give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the L21 and SH-50.

Plainly, both of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You should count on the Olympus SH-50 to give you extra detail with its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs more aggressively. The older L21 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.