Olympus 550WP vs Sony HX30V

Below is a thorough assessment of the Olympus 550WP and Sony HX30V, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the 550WP (10MP) and HX30V (18MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The 550WP was introduced 4 years earlier than the HX30V and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the 550WP matches up vs the HX30V when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 550WP & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V. The whole galleries are available at Olympus 550WP Gallery & Sony HX30V Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus 550WP comes with outside dimensions of 94mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Sony HX30V has specifications of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus 550WP and Sony HX30V in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the 550WP versus the HX30V.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the 550WP and HX30V is 94 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to see the contrast between sensor measurements only by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the 550WP and HX30V.

Clearly, both the cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same MP. You can anticipate the Sony HX30V to offer you greater detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images way more aggressively. The older 550WP is going to be behind in sensor innovation.