Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A6500

Lets examine more closely at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A6500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and A6500 (24MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and A6500 (APS-C) use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-16 iHS was introduced 4 years prior to the A6500 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A6500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the SZ-16 iHS matches up vs the A6500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Sony Alpha a6500. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Sony A6500 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS comes with outside measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony A6500 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 453 grams (1.00 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A6500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the SZ-16 iHS against the A6500.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and A6500 is 89 and 81 respectively.

Often, it is hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizing only by reading through specifications. The graphic here may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-16 iHS and A6500.

To sum up, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ-16 iHS having a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A6500 will resolve extra detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The older SZ-16 iHS is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.