Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Samsung TL500

The following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Samsung TL500, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Samsung. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and TL500 (10MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and TL500 (1/1.7") use totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-16 iHS was brought out 2 years after the TL500 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go through a complete comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the SZ-16 iHS scores vs the TL500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Samsung TL500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Samsung TL500 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS provides external measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Samsung TL500 has measurements of 114mm x 63mm x 29mm (4.5" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 386 grams (0.85 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Samsung TL500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is the front view size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS vs the TL500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and TL500 is 89 and 88 respectively.

Usually, its tough to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions purely by viewing a spec sheet. The pic here will give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-16 iHS and TL500.

Clearly, the 2 cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-16 iHS due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will result in more detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos far more aggressively. The more modern SZ-16 iHS is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.