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Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

Portability
77
Imaging
44
Features
36
Overall
40
Olympus E-420 front
 
Olympus SZ-16 iHS front
Portability
89
Imaging
40
Features
36
Overall
38

Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS Key Specs

Olympus E-420
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 426g - 130 x 91 x 53mm
  • Introduced June 2008
  • Superseded the Olympus E-410
Olympus SZ-16 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 226g - 108 x 70 x 40mm
  • Revealed January 2013
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Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS Overview

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are offered by Olympus. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") come with different sensor size.

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The E-420 was introduced 5 years before the SZ-16 iHS which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a in depth comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-420 grades against the SZ-16 iHS in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-420 over the Olympus SZ-16 iHS

 E-420 SZ-16 iHS 
Focus manually Very precise focus

Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-16 iHS over the Olympus E-420

 SZ-16 iHS E-420 
RevealedJanuary 2013June 2008More modern by 55 months
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution460k230kClearer screen (+230k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-420 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS

 E-420 SZ-16 iHS 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Lacking Touch friendly screen

Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS Physical Comparison

If you are aiming to carry around your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 comes with physical measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has proportions 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 Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-420 and the SZ-16 iHS.

Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and SZ-16 iHS is 77 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS Sensor Comparison

Usually, it's difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes just by viewing specs. The pic here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and SZ-16 iHS.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-420 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will result in extra detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-420 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS sensor size comparison

Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-420 Portrait photography details
Olympus SZ-16 iHS Portrait photography details
56
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
low resolution sensor (10MP)
35
good resolution (16MP)
supports face detect focus
no manual focus
manual exposure not available
external flash not possible
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-420 Street photography advice
Olympus SZ-16 iHS Street photography advice
64
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
lighter than average (426 grams)
fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
61
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competitors (226 grams)
no articulating screen
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-420 Sports photography factors
Olympus SZ-16 iHS Sports photography factors
38
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
continuous shooting slow (4.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
low resolution sensor (10MP)
not so great battery pack (500 shots)
42
long zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (16MP)
supports tracking focus
continuous shooting slow (2.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
low battery power (220 shots)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-420 as a Travel photography camera
Olympus SZ-16 iHS as a Travel photography camera
52
lighter than average (426g)
flash built-in
lack of Timelapse function
not so great battery pack (500 per charge)
low resolution sensor (10 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
65
lighter than competitors (226g)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
quite wide (25mm)
very long reach (600mm)
lack of Time Lapse mode
low battery power (220 per charge)
display is not selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.0)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-420 Landscape photography info
Olympus SZ-16 iHS Landscape photography info
47
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
small screen (2.7 inches)
does not have image stabilization
low resolution sensor (10 megapixels)
not so great battery pack (500 CIPA)
lack of Timelapse function
41
quite wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (16 megapixels)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.0)
manual exposure not available
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
low battery power (220 shots)
lack of Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-420 Vlogging details
Olympus SZ-16 iHS Vlogging details
9
no video recording
31
quite wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect focus
lighter than competitors (226 grams)
slow max aperture (f3.0)
display is not selfie friendly
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pixels)
lack of mic jack
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Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-420 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS
 Olympus E-420Olympus SZ-16 iHS
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Olympus
Model type Olympus E-420 Olympus SZ-16 iHS
Category Entry-Level DSLR Small Sensor Superzoom
Introduced 2008-06-23 2013-01-08
Body design Compact SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic III -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 -
Highest resolution 3648 x 2736 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 1600 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 80
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 3 -
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-600mm (24.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.0-6.9
Total lenses 45 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 2.7" 3"
Resolution of display 230 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display technology - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.46x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 4s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Continuous shooting speed 4.0 frames per sec 2.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 12.00 m (at ISO 100) -
Flash modes Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/180s -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Highest video resolution None 1280x720
Video file format - MPEG-4, H.264
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 426 grams (0.94 lb) 226 grams (0.50 lb)
Dimensions 130 x 91 x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") 108 x 70 x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 56 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 21.5 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.4 not tested
DXO Low light rating 527 not tested
Other
Battery life 500 photos 220 photos
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID - LI-50B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter)
Time lapse recording
Storage media Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots Single Single
Retail pricing $999 $230