Olympus SH-50 vs Sony A58

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus SH-50 and Sony A58, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SH-50 (16MP) and the A58 (20MP) is pretty comparable but the SH-50 (1/2.3") and A58 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The SH-50 was unveiled 10 months before the A58 so they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Sony A58 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the SH-50 scores vs the A58 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SH-50 and Sony SLT-A58. The full galleries are available at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Sony A58 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-50 offers outer measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Sony A58 has sizing of 129mm x 95mm x 78mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 492 grams (1.08 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-50 and Sony A58 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the SH-50 against the A58.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and A58 is 88 and 68 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to see the gap in sensor sizing merely by seeing specs. The graphic underneath should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-50 and A58.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SH-50 having a smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Sony A58 will provide more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots more aggressively. The older SH-50 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.