Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Sony HX20V

Here, we are comparing the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony HX20V, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and HX20V (18MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The SP-590 UZ was manufactured 4 years earlier than the HX20V and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the SP-590 UZ grades versus the HX20V for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Sony HX20V Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera often, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus SP-590 UZ has physical dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") and a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Sony HX20V has proportions of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") along with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

See the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Sony HX20V in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the SP-590 UZ compared to the HX20V.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and HX20V is 72 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to imagine the difference between sensor measurements simply by reviewing technical specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-590 UZ and HX20V.

As you can tell, the two cameras feature the identical sensor size but different resolution. You can anticipate the Sony HX20V to offer more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.