Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sony A99

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Sony A99, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the sensor resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and A99 (24MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) use totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-16 iHS was released about the same time to the A99 which means that they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the SZ-16 iHS grades versus the A99 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sony SLT-A99. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Sony A99 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS enjoys 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) and the Sony A99 has dimensions of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Sony A99 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS vs the A99.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-16 iHS and A99 is 89 and 57 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to see the gap in sensor sizes simply by looking through a spec sheet. The pic below will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-16 iHS and A99.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-16 iHS because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A99 will provide you with greater detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos much more aggressively.