Olympus FE-4000 vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

Following is a thorough review of the Olympus FE-4000 versus Olympus SZ-16 iHS, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are produced by Olympus. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the FE-4000 (12MP) and SZ-16 iHS (16MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The FE-4000 was unveiled 4 years earlier than the SZ-16 iHS which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a short highlight of how the FE-4000 scores versus the SZ-16 iHS when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus FE-4000 and Olympus SZ-16 iHS. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus FE-4000 Gallery and Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to think about its weight and size. The Olympus FE-4000 enjoys physical measurements of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has specifications of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Olympus FE-4000 versus Olympus SZ-16 iHS in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the FE-4000 vs the SZ-16 iHS.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FE-4000 and SZ-16 iHS is 95 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes only by reviewing a spec sheet. The image here will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-4000 and SZ-16 iHS.

Clearly, both the cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Olympus SZ-16 iHS to offer greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged FE-4000 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.