Olympus SH-50 vs Sony A230

The following is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus SH-50 versus Sony A230, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and A230 (10MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SH-50 was introduced 3 years after the A230 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a short view of how the SH-50 grades versus the A230 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SH-50 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-50 features outside measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Sony A230 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") and a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-50 versus Sony A230 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the SH-50 versus the A230.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-50 and A230 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions purely by looking at specifications. The image underneath may offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-50 and A230.

To sum up, the 2 cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SH-50 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Olympus SH-50 will resolve more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures far more aggressively. The newer SH-50 provides an edge in sensor tech.