Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A9

On this page, we are comparing the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony A9, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and A9 (24MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and A9 (Full frame) offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-16 iHS was unveiled 5 years earlier than the A9 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the SZ-16 iHS matches up vs the A9 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Sony Alpha A9. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS enjoys external dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony A9 has measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") having a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony A9 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the SZ-16 iHS compared to the A9.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and A9 is 89 and 65 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to visualise the difference between sensor measurements merely by reviewing specs. The graphic below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-16 iHS and A9.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-16 iHS using its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A9 will offer greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The older SZ-16 iHS is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.