Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Pentax P80

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Pentax P80, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and P80 (12MP) but they feature the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The SZ-16 iHS was announced 3 years later than the P80 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the SZ-16 iHS grades versus the P80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax Optio P80. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Pentax P80 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS offers physical measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Pentax P80 has specifications of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Pentax P80 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the SZ-16 iHS and the P80.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-16 iHS and P80 is 89 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements just by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-16 iHS and P80.

As you can see, each of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Olympus SZ-16 iHS to give extra detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The fresher SZ-16 iHS will have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.