Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A380

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A380, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the A380 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and A380 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-16 iHS was launched 3 years later than the A380 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the SZ-16 iHS matches up versus the A380 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Sony A380 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS comes with 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) whilst the Sony A380 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A380 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS and the A380.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and A380 is 89 and 68 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements simply by checking out technical specs. The graphic below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-16 iHS and A380.

As you can tell, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-16 iHS because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will provide more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs way more aggressively. The newer SZ-16 iHS is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.