Olympus SH-50 vs Zeiss ZX1

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus SH-50 versus Zeiss ZX1, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Zeiss. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and ZX1 (37MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and ZX1 (Full frame) use totally different sensor size.

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The SH-50 was announced 6 years before the ZX1 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Zeiss ZX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a short highlight of how the SH-50 grades vs the ZX1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SH-50 and Zeiss ZX1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Zeiss ZX1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SH-50 provides exterior dimensions of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Zeiss ZX1 has specifications of 142mm x 93mm x 46mm (5.6" x 3.7" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SH-50 versus Zeiss ZX1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the SH-50 compared to the ZX1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the SH-50 and ZX1 is 88 and 67 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions simply by checking out specifications. The picture below will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-50 and ZX1.

To sum up, each of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SH-50 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Zeiss ZX1 will produce extra detail with its extra 21 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos much more aggressively. The more aged SH-50 will be behind in sensor tech.