Olympus SZ-10 vs Sony A9

In this write-up, we will be evaluating the Olympus SZ-10 and Sony A9, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the resolutions of the SZ-10 (14MP) and A9 (24MP) and the SZ-10 (1/2.3") and A9 (Full frame) use different sensor size.

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The SZ-10 was revealed 7 years earlier than the A9 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick summary of how the SZ-10 matches up versus the A9 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-10 & Sony Alpha A9. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-10 Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-10 provides physical measurements of 106mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs) whilst the Sony A9 has sizing of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") along with a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-10 and Sony A9 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the SZ-10 compared to the A9.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-10 and A9 is 90 and 65 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to picture the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing technical specs. The picture below might give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-10 and A9.

As you can tell, each of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-10 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Sony A9 will deliver more detail because of its extra 10MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged SZ-10 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.