Olympus SZ-11 vs Sony A37

In this write-up, we will be contrasting the Olympus SZ-11 and Sony A37, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SZ-11 (14MP) and the A37 (16MP) is pretty well matched but the SZ-11 (1/2.3") and A37 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-11 was manufactured 9 months prior to the A37 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the SZ-11 grades vs the A37 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-11 & Sony SLT-A37. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery & Sony A37 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-11 features outer measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony A37 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-11 and Sony A37 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the SZ-11 vs the A37.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-11 and A37 is 89 and 67 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizing just by reading through specifications. The visual here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-11 and A37.

To sum up, the two cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SZ-11 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony A37 will give more detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older SZ-11 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.