Olympus SZ-15 vs Sony RX100 IV

Let's look much closer at the Olympus SZ-15 and Sony RX100 IV, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SZ-15 (16MP) and the RX100 IV (20MP) is pretty close but the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and RX100 IV (1") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-15 was unveiled 23 months before the RX100 IV which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the SZ-15 grades against the RX100 IV when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-15 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Sony RX100 IV Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-15 offers outer 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) while the Sony RX100 IV has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-15 and Sony RX100 IV in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the SZ-15 vs the RX100 IV.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-15 and RX100 IV is 88 and 89 respectively.

Generally, its tough to envision the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching specs. The picture below will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-15 and RX100 IV.

All in all, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-15 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony RX100 IV will render more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged SZ-15 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.