Olympus SZ-15 vs Sony A500

Following is a extended review of the Olympus SZ-15 versus Sony A500, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and A500 (12MP) and the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-15 was revealed 3 years after the A500 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the SZ-15 matches up versus the A500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-15 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 features external dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Sony A500 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SZ-15 versus Sony A500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the SZ-15 vs the A500.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-15 and A500 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to envision the contrast in sensor sizes only by researching technical specs. The pic here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-15 and A500.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-15 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Olympus SZ-15 will result in more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots much more aggressively. The younger SZ-15 will have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.