Olympus SZ-11 vs Sony A290

Below is a in depth analysis of the Olympus SZ-11 and Sony A290, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SZ-11 (14MP) and the A290 (14MP) is very close but the SZ-11 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-11 was manufactured 14 months later than the A290 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a complete comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the SZ-11 grades versus the A290 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-11 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery and Sony A290 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-11 offers exterior measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony A290 has specifications of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-11 and Sony A290 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the SZ-11 compared to the A290.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-11 and A290 is 89 and 66 respectively.

Normally, its hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements purely by viewing specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-11 and A290.

As you can plainly see, both cameras enjoy the same exact megapixel count but not the same sensor measurements. The SZ-11 comes with the smaller sensor which should make getting shallow depth of field trickier. The more recent SZ-11 will have an edge in sensor technology.