Olympus 7040 vs Olympus SP-100

Below is a extensive assessment of the Olympus 7040 and Olympus SP-100, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both manufactured by Olympus. The image resolution of the 7040 (14MP) and the SP-100 (16MP) is very similar and both cameras posses the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The 7040 was introduced 5 years prior to the SP-100 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus 7040 being a Compact camera and the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the 7040 matches up versus the SP-100 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus 7040 and Olympus Stylus SP-100. The whole galleries are available at Olympus 7040 Gallery and Olympus SP-100 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus 7040 comes with physical dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 144 grams (0.32 lbs) and the Olympus SP-100 has measurements of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") and a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs).

Check the Olympus 7040 and Olympus SP-100 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the 7040 compared to the SP-100.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 7040 and SP-100 is 95 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to visualize the difference between sensor measurements purely by reading technical specs. The photograph here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the 7040 and SP-100.

As you have seen, both of those cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Olympus SP-100 to offer you greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos more aggressively. The older 7040 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.