Olympus 550WP vs Sony HX300

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus 550WP versus Sony HX300, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the 550WP (10MP) and HX300 (20MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The 550WP was manufactured 5 years before the HX300 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 550WP being a Compact camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick overview of how the 550WP grades vs the HX300 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 550WP and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 550WP Gallery and Sony HX300 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus 550WP has external dimensions of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) whilst the Sony HX300 has specifications of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") with a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Compare the Olympus 550WP versus Sony HX300 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the 550WP compared to the HX300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 550WP and HX300 is 94 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing purely by going through specifications. The photograph here should give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the 550WP and HX300.

To sum up, both of the cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Sony HX300 to provide extra detail due to its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older 550WP will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.