Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A77

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A77, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and A77 (24MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and A77 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-16 iHS was revealed 15 months later than the A77 making them a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A77 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the SZ-16 iHS grades versus the A77 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony SLT-A77. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Sony A77 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS offers outside dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony A77 has measurements of 143mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") and a weight of 732 grams (1.61 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A77 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS compared to the A77.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and A77 is 89 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it is very difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing purely by going over specs. The visual underneath might give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-16 iHS and A77.

All in all, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ-16 iHS with its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A77 will offer more detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The fresher SZ-16 iHS will have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.