Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A700

Here is a detailed analysis of the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A700, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and A700 (12MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and A700 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-16 iHS was launched 5 years later than the A700 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a full comparison, below is a simple summary of how the SZ-16 iHS matches up versus the A700 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Sony A700 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS provides exterior dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony A700 has sizing of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") with a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A700 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the SZ-16 iHS against the A700.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-16 iHS and A700 is 89 and 58 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing merely by researching specs. The photograph below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-16 iHS and A700.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ-16 iHS because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh harder and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will render more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The newer SZ-16 iHS provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.