Olympus SZ-10 vs Sony A65

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus SZ-10 and Sony A65, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the SZ-10 (14MP) and A65 (24MP) and the SZ-10 (1/2.3") and A65 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-10 was revealed 9 months prior to the A65 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A65 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise summary of how the SZ-10 grades versus the A65 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-10 and Sony SLT-A65. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-10 Gallery and Sony A65 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you should factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-10 provides outer measurements of 106mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Sony A65 has specifications of 132mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 622 grams (1.37 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-10 and Sony A65 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the SZ-10 compared to the A65.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-10 and A65 is 90 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizes only by going over a spec sheet. The image below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-10 and A65.

Clearly, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-10 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Sony A65 will offer you greater detail because of its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged SZ-10 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.