Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A6300

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony A6300, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and A6300 (24MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and A6300 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-16 iHS was revealed 4 years before the A6300 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A6300 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a full comparison, here is a brief summary of how the SZ-16 iHS scores versus the A6300 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Sony Alpha a6300. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Sony A6300 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS enjoys external measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony A6300 has proportions of 120mm x 67mm x 49mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 404 grams (0.89 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony A6300 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS against the A6300.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and A6300 is 89 and 83 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to envision the gap in sensor sizing only by checking out a spec sheet. The graphic underneath might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-16 iHS and A6300.

Clearly, both of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SZ-16 iHS having a smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony A6300 will produce more detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots way more aggressively. The older SZ-16 iHS will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.