Olympus SH-50 vs Sony A700

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus SH-50 versus Sony A700, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and A700 (12MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and A700 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-50 was introduced 5 years after the A700 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the SH-50 scores against the A700 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SH-50 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Sony A700 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SH-50 has external measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Sony A700 has proportions of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") with a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SH-50 versus Sony A700 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the SH-50 against the A700.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and A700 is 88 and 58 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions only by going through a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-50 and A700.

As you can see, both the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SH-50 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will produce extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The newer SH-50 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.