Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony NEX-7

Below is a complete comparison of the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Sony NEX-7, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-16 iHS was introduced 14 months later than the NEX-7 making them a generation apart from one another. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the SZ-16 iHS scores versus the NEX-7 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS comes with external dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony NEX-7 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Sony NEX-7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the SZ-16 iHS against the NEX-7.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and NEX-7 is 89 and 84 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to visualize the gap between sensor measurements purely by going over a spec sheet. The graphic here might give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-16 iHS and NEX-7.

Clearly, both of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SZ-16 iHS having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-7 will offer you extra detail using its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The fresher SZ-16 iHS should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.