Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony RX1R

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony RX1R, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and RX1R (24MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and RX1R (Full frame) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-16 iHS was unveiled 5 months prior to the RX1R so they are of a similar generation. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony RX1R being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SZ-16 iHS scores against the RX1R in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Sony RX1R Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS has physical dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony RX1R has dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") and a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony RX1R in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. The following is a front view size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS vs the RX1R.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and RX1R is 89 and 79 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizes merely by seeing technical specs. The pic here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-16 iHS and RX1R.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-16 iHS having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony RX1R will provide extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively.