Olympus SH-50 vs Panasonic LX100

Let's look more closely at the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic LX100, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and LX100 (13MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and LX100 (Four Thirds) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-50 was manufactured 20 months prior to the LX100 which makes them a generation away from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the SH-50 grades against the LX100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Panasonic LX100 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-50 comes with exterior dimensions of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Panasonic LX100 has sizing of 115mm x 66mm x 55mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 2.2") along with a weight of 393 grams (0.87 lbs).

Check the Olympus SH-50 and Panasonic LX100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the SH-50 versus the LX100.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and LX100 is 88 and 83 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to see the gap between sensor sizes just by reading through technical specs. The image here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-50 and LX100.

As you have seen, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SH-50 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will give you greater detail due to its extra 3MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged SH-50 is going to be behind in sensor tech.