Clicky

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV

Portability
89
Imaging
40
Features
36
Overall
38
Olympus SZ-16 iHS front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV front
Portability
89
Imaging
52
Features
79
Overall
62

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV Key Specs

Olympus SZ-16 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 226g - 108 x 70 x 40mm
  • Revealed January 2013
Sony RX100 IV
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 125 - 12800 (Push to 25600)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-70mm (F1.8-2.8) lens
  • 298g - 102 x 58 x 41mm
  • Launched June 2015
  • Previous Model is Sony RX100 III
  • Refreshed by Sony RX100 V
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV Overview

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony RX100 IV, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the RX100 IV (20MP) is fairly comparable but the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and RX100 IV (1") posses totally different sensor measurements.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The SZ-16 iHS was unveiled 3 years prior to the RX100 IV which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief summation of how the SZ-16 iHS scores versus the RX100 IV in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-16 iHS over the Sony RX100 IV

 SZ-16 iHS RX100 IV 

Reasons to pick Sony RX100 IV over the Olympus SZ-16 iHS

 RX100 IV SZ-16 iHS 
LaunchedJune 2015January 2013Newer by 29 months
Focus manually Dial precise focus
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution1229k460kClearer display (+769k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Common features in the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony RX100 IV

 SZ-16 iHS RX100 IV 
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurements
Touch friendly display Neither offers Touch friendly display

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV Physical Comparison

If you are aiming to travel with your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS offers external measurements 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 RX100 IV has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony RX100 IV in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ-16 iHS vs the RX100 IV.

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-16 iHS and RX100 IV is 89 and 89 respectively.

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV top view buttons comparison

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions purely by going through specs. The pic here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-16 iHS and RX100 IV.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-16 iHS having a smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more challenging and the Sony RX100 IV will provide extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged SZ-16 iHS will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV sensor size comparison

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus SZ-16 iHS Portrait photography highlights
Sony RX100 IV Portrait photography highlights
35
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
provides face detection autofocus
no manual focus
manual exposure not available
external flash not possible
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
65
you can focus manually
above average flash sync (1/2,000 seconds)
decent MP (20MP)
good sensor size (1")
includes face detect focus
delivers RAW files
external flash not possible
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Street Comparison

Olympus SZ-16 iHS Street photography information
Sony RX100 IV Street photography information
61
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than average (226g)
no articulating screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
85
tilting screen
image stabilization (Optical)
good sensor size (1")
delivers RAW files
lighter than competition (298g)
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Sports Comparison

Olympus SZ-16 iHS Sports photography highlights
Sony RX100 IV Sports photography highlights
42
excellent zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
resolution is good (16MP)
provides tracking autofocus
slow frames per second (2.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
low battery pack (220 shots)
lacks phase detect autofocus
68
silent shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
max fps high (16.0 fps)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (20 megapixels)
good sensor size (1")
includes tracking focus
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Travel Comparison

Olympus SZ-16 iHS as a Travel photography camera
Sony RX100 IV as a Travel photography camera
65
lighter than average (226 grams)
resolution is good (16MP)
flash built-in
relatively wide (25mm)
great zoom (600mm)
missing Time Lapse function
low battery pack (220 shots)
display isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.0)
86
lighter than competition (298g)
decent MP (20 megapixels)
built-in flash
screen is selfie friendly
reasonably wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus SZ-16 iHS Landscape photography details
Sony RX100 IV Landscape photography details
41
relatively wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
resolution is good (16MP)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.0)
manual exposure not available
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
low battery pack (220 CIPA)
missing Time Lapse function
74
you can focus manually
reasonably wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (20MP)
good sensor size (1")
delivers RAW files
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SZ-16 iHS as a Vlogging camera
Sony RX100 IV as a Vlogging camera
31
relatively wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
provides face detection autofocus
lighter than average (226g)
slow max aperture (f3.0)
display isn't selfie friendly
video resolution low (1280 x 720 resolution)
missing external mic support
81
reasonably wide (24mm)
great maximum aperture (f1.8)
screen is selfie friendly
image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect focus
video res high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
lighter than competition (298g)
doesn't have microphone support
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX100 IV Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony RX100 IV
 Olympus SZ-16 iHSSony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
General Information
Make Olympus Sony
Model Olympus SZ-16 iHS Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV
Category Small Sensor Superzoom Large Sensor Compact
Revealed 2013-01-08 2015-06-10
Physical type Compact Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 13.2 x 8.8mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 116.2mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 20 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio - 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Maximum native ISO 6400 12800
Maximum enhanced ISO - 25600
Minimum native ISO 80 125
RAW support
Minimum enhanced ISO - 80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points - 25
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 25-600mm (24.0x) 24-70mm (2.9x)
Maximal aperture f/3.0-6.9 f/1.8-2.8
Macro focus distance - 5cm
Crop factor 5.8 2.7
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Tilting
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 460k dots 1,229k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Screen tech TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359k dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.59x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/2000s 1/2000s
Fastest silent shutter speed - 1/32000s
Continuous shutter rate 2.0 frames per second 16.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in -
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize - 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) 3840 x 2160 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p/60i/24p), 1280 x 720 (60p/30p/24p/120p), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 3840x2160
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 226g (0.50 lbs) 298g (0.66 lbs)
Physical dimensions 108 x 70 x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") 102 x 58 x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 70
DXO Color Depth score not tested 22.9
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.6
DXO Low light score not tested 562
Other
Battery life 220 images 280 images
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI-50B NP-BX1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) Yes
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Launch pricing $230 $898