Olympus SH-50 vs Sony HX5

Below is a complete overview of the Olympus SH-50 versus Sony HX5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and HX5 (1/2.4") feature different sensor sizing.

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The SH-50 was introduced 2 years later than the HX5 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving through a full comparison, below is a short highlight of how the SH-50 scores vs the HX5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SH-50 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Sony HX5 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-50 has got exterior measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Sony HX5 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-50 versus Sony HX5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the SH-50 compared to the HX5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and HX5 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to imagine the difference in sensor measurements simply by seeing technical specs. The photograph below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-50 and HX5.

As you can tell, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SH-50 using its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will show more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The younger SH-50 should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.