Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony TX7

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony TX7, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and TX7 (10MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and TX7 (1/2.4") use different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-16 iHS was unveiled 3 years later than the TX7 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony TX7 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the SZ-16 iHS grades versus the TX7 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Sony TX7 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS provides outer dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony TX7 has sizing of 98mm x 60mm x 18mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 0.7") along with a weight of 149 grams (0.33 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony TX7 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS compared to the TX7.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-16 iHS and TX7 is 89 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing only by looking through specifications. The graphic below may give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-16 iHS and TX7.

To sum up, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ-16 iHS with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will render greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The fresher SZ-16 iHS provides a benefit in sensor tech.