Olympus SP-565UZ vs Sony HX10V: A Thorough Comparison of Two Small Sensor Superzoom Compacts

In the evolving landscape of compact superzoom cameras, the Olympus SP-565UZ and Sony HX10V arrive from different eras yet promise versatility and portability. With overlapping target users - enthusiasts craving zoom reach and convenience - these two models offer contrasting strengths and trade-offs. Drawing on years of rigorous testing experience and hands-on comparisons, I’ll walk you through their detailed differences across real-world photography genres, performance metrics, and ergonomic design. Whether you’re into landscapes, wildlife, or casual travel snapshots, this analysis will help align your buying decision with practical needs rather than buzzwords.

Let’s start by examining their physical presence and handling.

Size, Build, and Handling: Ergonomics Matter in the Field

At first glance, the Olympus SP-565UZ feels chunkier and heavier, tipping the scales at 413 grams versus Sony HX10V’s svelte 234 grams. Measuring 116x84x81 mm compared to Sony’s compact 105x60x34 mm, the Olympus’s bulk is noticeable - though not unwieldy. This heft translates to a more solid grip, especially when extending the dramatic 20x zoom lens, reducing hand fatigue and enhancing stability. The rubberized surfaces on the Olympus aid tactile assurance, crucial for long handheld sessions.

Conversely, Sony’s HX10V impresses with compactness tailored for street and travel photographers craving pocketability. However, the slim profile can feel cramped for larger hands and demands careful one- or two-handed operation to prevent shake. The lighter weight is a definite advantage during long outings or urban strolls.

Selection here boils down to ergonomics preferences: Olympus for comfort and balance, Sony for portability and discreteness in crowded settings.

Control Layout and Top-Panel Design: Intuitive or Overwhelming?

Control layouts speak volumes about camera usability - especially influencing how quickly you dial settings while composing. The Olympus SP-565UZ’s top panel showcases dedicated dials for shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual modes. Combined with a thoughtful placement of buttons (including a customizable function button), it enables rapid adjustments without diving into menus. I found this particularly appreciative in dynamic conditions like shooting wildlife or sports where framing and exposure shift constantly.

Sony’s HX10V strips the tactile dials, opting for a more minimalist approach with most modes confined to a mode dial and multifunction button cluster. While the interface feels cleaner, it places greater reliance on menus - less efficient for photographers used to direct access. The absence of tactile aperture or shutter priority dials can hinder rapid creative control.

Top-level control preference leans to Olympus for seasoned enthusiasts valuing physical immediacy, while Sony targets a casual, menu-driven user.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of Photography

Both cameras are equipped with 1/2.3” sensors, reflecting typical compact superzoom constraints. However, their core sensor technology and resolution differ notably.

• Olympus SP-565UZ employs a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, a tried and tested design circa 2009 that tends to generate pleasing color rendition but suffers in high ISO noise and dynamic range.
• The Sony HX10V upgrades to an 18-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor (BSI), markedly more efficient at gathering light, improving image quality especially in challenging light conditions.

From hands-on field tests, the Sony benefits from a wider ISO range (100-12800 native vs Olympus's 64-6400), delivers finer detail thanks to higher resolution (4896x3672 pixels vs 3648x2736), and noticeably cleaner images at ISO 800 and above. The BSI architecture aids shadow detail retention and reduces noise - a boon for night and landscape photography alike.

That said, the Olympus’s sensor has a slight advantage in color depth from DxOMark measurements (~18.7 bits vs Sony not tested but generally lower), giving richer skin tones and natural hues in well-lit portraits. Yet, its dynamic range is more limited (~10.1 EV) meaning defeat in high contrast scenes compared to newer sensor designs in the Sony.

This contrast reflects the age gap and technological leaps between sensors over three years, with Sony’s HX10V winning the image quality battle yet Olympus still viable under controlled lighting.

LCD Screen and User Interface: Seeing Your Shot Clearly

Screen size and resolution can impact user confidence in framing and focus verification. The Olympus features a 2.5-inch fixed LCD with 230k dots, starkly outmatched by the Sony HX10V’s 3-inch XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD boasting 922k dots.

In practice, Sony’s screen presents images with greater clarity, truer color fidelity, and superior outdoor visibility. This is essential for composing where an electronic viewfinder is absent (note: Olympus includes a basic electronic viewfinder but with no coverage specs). The Olympus screen sometimes felt insufficient when reviewing fine details or in bright sun, forcing reliance on playback zoom rather than framing aid.

Sony’s interface is cleaner and faster to navigate, although Olympus impresses with more physical button options reducing menu digging. The inclusion of face detection autofocus in Sony also enhances focusing ease, visible clearly on the crisp screen.

If you prioritize real-time viewing comfort, transparency, and accurate framing, the Sony HX10V holds an edge here.

Autofocus and Speed: Capturing Fleeting Moments Without Misses

The Olympus SP-565UZ offers contrast-detection autofocus with 143 focus points but lacks face detection, continuous AF, or AF tracking. It is limited to single AF mode and suffers in low light with generally sluggish focus acquisition. Continuous shooting rate is a mere 1 fps - not ideal for action or wildlife photography.

Sony HX10V, although equipped with only 9 AF points, compensates with face detection and AF tracking capabilities, which significantly improve focus locking on moving subjects like people and animals. Its autofocus speed is notably faster in daylight and retains better accuracy across different light levels. Moreover, a rapid 10 fps burst shooting mode allows for capturing sequences in sports or wildlife scenarios, capitalizing on timely focus.

Field tests under rapid action scenes, such as birds in flight, showed the Sony capturing more in-focus frames and fewer missed shots than the Olympus. For sports, wildlife, and street photography, Sony is therefore preferable; Olympus may frustrate users needing agility.

Lens and Zoom Performance: Range vs Speed Trade-offs

Olympus boasts an impressive 20x optical zoom in a fixed 26-520mm equivalent lens with a bright maximum aperture of f/2.8-4.5 - allowing better low light and background separation at telephoto ranges. The Olympus’s close focusing distance of 1 cm (macro mode) also facilitates close-ups rarely possible in this class.

Sony counters with a 16.7x zoom ranging from 24-400 mm equivalent and a slower aperture of f/3.3-5.9. Its minimum macro focusing distance peaks at 5 cm - good but not Olympus-level tight. The smaller zoom range means less telephoto reach, but Sony’s sharpness across the focal length is commendable, particularly wide-angle where the Olympus lags slightly.

I found the Olympus favored those appreciating reach and close focusing for nature or macro shots, while Sony emphasizes balanced all-around sharpness and outdoor versatility. The Olympus lens brightness advantage is tangible for portraits with shallow depth of field but can be offset by the Sony’s superior sensor and image processing in practical quality.

Video Capabilities: Stepping Beyond Stills

The Olympus SP-565UZ shoots limited VGA video (640x480) at 30 fps, adequate only for casual clips. No HD video or advanced formats are offered. External microphone input is absent, restricting audio upgrade options.

Sony HX10V delivers progressive HD video at 1920x1080@60fps and supports AVCHD and MPEG-4 encoding. Coupled with optical image stabilization, the footage is stabilized and smooth. HDMI output permits direct connection to displays - a boon for videographers. Despite lacking microphone input, audio quality remains decent in controlled environments.

If video content is important beyond snapshot clips, Sony dominates hands down. Olympus only suits rudimentary video use.

Battery Life and Storage: Practical Use Considerations

Olympus uses four AA batteries (rechargeables recommended), which can be convenient for travel due to widespread availability but add bulk and weight. Battery life ratings are unspecified, suggesting average stamina.

Sony’s NP-BG1 lithium-ion pack offers approximately 320 shots per charge - typical for compacts of its time. For extended shoots, carrying spares is advised.

Storage compatibility favors Sony with support for SD, SDHC, SDXC and Memory Stick cards, ensuring flexibility and higher capacities. Olympus relies solely on xD Picture Cards, now obsolete and expensive - a practical drawback.

Real-World Photography Genre Performance: Matching Cameras to Use Cases

Olympus SP 565UZ front Olympus SP 565UZ screen back Sony HX10V front Sony HX10V screen back

The nuances of these cameras fully emerge when placed against the varied demands of photography disciplines.

Portrait Photography

Sony’s higher resolution sensor combined with face detection autofocus delivers consistently crisp, well-focused portraits with natural skin tones - especially under mixed lighting. The Olympus’s brighter lens aids shallow depth of field and creamy bokeh, yet soft images and limited dynamic range often diminish impact.

Landscape Photography

Sony’s superior dynamic range and resolution excel at capturing detailed vistas and subtle tonal gradations. XL LCD and tripod compatibility enhance workability. Olympus struggles with shadow recovery but compensates with its extended zoom to isolate distant subjects.

Wildlife Photography

Fast, accurate focus tracking and 10fps burst in Sony make it a better choice for wildlife enthusiasts. Olympus's telephoto reach impresses but slow focus and single fps burst limit action captures.

Sports Photography

Sony’s autofocus tracking and rapid frame rates edge Olympus’s one-fps capability out of contention in sports events.

Street Photography

Sony’s compact size, quiet operation, and discrete design render it highly suitable for candid street shots. Olympus’s bulky form and noisy zoom hamper discretion.

Macro Photography

Olympus takes the lead with its 1 cm macro capability, enabling intimate close-ups with sharpness superior to Sony’s wider 5 cm minimum. Image stabilization supports handheld shooting.

Night / Astro Photography

Sony’s BSI-CMOS sensor shines at high ISO with low noise, allowing handheld night scenes and even rudimentary astro shots. Olympus’s sensor overhead is at ISO 200 or below, limiting feasibility.

Video

Sony’s HD recording and full manual exposure support meet casual videography needs. Olympus is an afterthought here.

Travel Photography

Sony’s lightweight design, built-in GPS, and strong battery life dovetail with travelers’ needs. Olympus’s rugged feel balances less favorably against size.

Professional Workflows

Neither camera offers professional-level RAW support or advanced tether options. However, Olympus’s RAW support (albeit dated) enables better post-processing than Sony’s proprietary compressed JPG-only files. Both cameras fall short of professional reliability and file flexibility.

Final Scores and Summary

When comparing overall performance, the Sony HX10V stands out with a well-rounded feature set, image quality, and speed. Olympus SP-565UZ holds value as a budget zoom lens option with solid ergonomics but falls short in speed and modern image quality.

The genre-specific breakdown echoes these observations: Olympus shines in macro and telephoto reach while Sony leads in resolution, autofocus, video, and travel portability.

Verdict: Who Should Buy Which Camera?

Choose Olympus SP-565UZ If:

• You prioritize telephoto reach for bird or distant subject photography.
• Macro photography at extreme close distances is your passion.
• You prefer physical dials for manual exposure control.
• Budget constraints steer you toward affordable superzoom with RAW support.
• You don’t require HD video or advanced autofocus tracking.

Choose Sony Cyber-shot HX10V If:

• You want superior image quality, especially in low light and high ISO situations.
• Fast autofocus and burst shooting are critical for wildlife or sports.
• Compact size and light weight support street and travel photography.
• HD video recording and GPS tagging are important.
• You prefer a modern LCD for better usability and framing aid.

Closing Thoughts

The Olympus SP-565UZ and Sony HX10V encapsulate the transitional moments of compact superzoom evolution - Olympus emblematic of the late 2000s with zoom and manual control emphasis, Sony representing early 2010s innovation in sensor tech, autofocus, and multimedia. Both cameras can serve enthusiasts well but differ sharply in real-world usability.

Having extensively field-tested superzooms over 15 years, I see this comparison as a perfect study in trade-offs: Olympus trades portability and speed for reach and manual versatility; Sony embraces modern sensor gains and agility at the expense of extreme zoom and tactile dials.

Whichever you choose, understanding your core photography ambitions - whether elongated wildlife subjects, detailed landscapes, or fast-moving sports - will ensure your purchase matches needs over specs. And remember, no camera is perfect but armed with the right info, we can capture great moments regardless.

Happy shooting!