Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A550

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A550, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very close but the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-16 iHS was manufactured 3 years after the A550 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the SZ-16 iHS matches up vs the A550 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS has got physical 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 Sony A550 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A550 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Here is a front view size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS versus the A550.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-16 iHS and A550 is 89 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor sizes only by researching technical specs. The pic underneath will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-16 iHS and A550.

As you can tell, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-16 iHS featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The younger SZ-16 iHS will have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.