Olympus SH-50 vs Sony RX100 IV

Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus SH-50 vs Sony RX100 IV, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SH-50 (16MP) and the RX100 IV (20MP) is very comparable but the SH-50 (1/2.3") and RX100 IV (1") feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SH-50 was announced 3 years prior to the RX100 IV and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the SH-50 grades against the RX100 IV for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SH-50 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Sony RX100 IV Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-50 has got outer 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 RX100 IV has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") with a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs).

Check the Olympus SH-50 vs Sony RX100 IV in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the SH-50 against the RX100 IV.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and RX100 IV is 88 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing only by seeing specs. The visual underneath will help offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-50 and RX100 IV.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SH-50 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony RX100 IV will provide greater detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images much more aggressively. The older SH-50 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.