Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Samsung CL5

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Samsung CL5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Olympus and Samsung. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and CL5 (9MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and CL5 (1/2.5") posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-16 iHS was announced 3 years later than the CL5 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Samsung CL5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the SZ-16 iHS grades versus the CL5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Samsung CL5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Samsung CL5 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS enjoys outside measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Samsung CL5 has dimensions of 93mm x 60mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.7") having a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Samsung CL5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the SZ-16 iHS against the CL5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-16 iHS and CL5 is 89 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualize the difference between sensor measurements simply by checking specs. The photograph below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-16 iHS and CL5.

All in all, both of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-16 iHS using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh easier and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will give you extra detail with its extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The fresher SZ-16 iHS provides an advantage with regard to sensor technology.