Olympus SZ-11 vs Sony A9

The following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus SZ-11 and Sony A9, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the SZ-11 (14MP) and A9 (24MP) and the SZ-11 (1/2.3") and A9 (Full frame) possess totally different sensor size.

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The SZ-11 was unveiled 6 years earlier than the A9 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick view of how the SZ-11 scores against the A9 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-11 and Sony Alpha A9. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery and Sony A9 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-11 enjoys exterior dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony A9 has dimensions of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") and a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-11 and Sony A9 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the SZ-11 against the A9.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-11 and A9 is 89 and 65 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions only by seeing specifications. The image below will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-11 and A9.

Plainly, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-11 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A9 will provide greater detail having an extra 10MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged SZ-11 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.