Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony NEX-5T

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony NEX-5T, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the NEX-5T (16MP) is fairly comparable but the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and NEX-5T (APS-C) enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-16 iHS was introduced 7 months earlier than the NEX-5T which means that they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summation of how the SZ-16 iHS matches up vs the NEX-5T when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony Alpha NEX-5T. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Sony NEX-5T Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS comes with exterior measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5T has measurements of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony NEX-5T in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the SZ-16 iHS vs the NEX-5T.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-16 iHS and NEX-5T is 89 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to picture the gap in sensor sizing merely by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-16 iHS and NEX-5T.

Clearly, both the cameras posses the exact same megapixels but different sensor sizing. The SZ-16 iHS includes the smaller sensor which will make obtaining shallower depth of field more difficult. The older SZ-16 iHS will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.