Comparing the Olympus Stylus 9000 and Samsung HZ50W: The Ultimate Small Sensor Camera Showdown

Choosing the right compact or bridge camera can seem daunting with options like the Olympus Stylus 9000 and the Samsung HZ50W often vying for attention. Both cameras come from reputable brands and offer compelling features aimed at photography enthusiasts and casual pros. Having extensively tested both models, I’ll walk you through a detailed comparison that covers the technology under the hood, real-world uses, and who each camera best suits.

Let’s dive deep into this side-by-side to help you make an informed decision tailored to your photography goals.

Getting to Know These Cameras: Form Factor and Design

Before we talk pixels and performance, the physical size and handling of these cameras define a huge part of your experience, especially if you carry the camera daily or shoot extended sessions.

• Olympus Stylus 9000 is a sleek, ultra-compact point-and-shoot with a minimal footprint and slim 96x60x31mm profile, weighing just 225 grams.
• Samsung HZ50W is a more substantial bridge camera resembling a DSLR in size and grip, measuring 116x83x91mm and weighing 426 grams.

The Olympus 9000’s petite size means incredible portability. It slips easily into jacket pockets, making it ideal for snapshooters who want a capable tool always at hand. On the other hand, Samsung’s HZ50W offers a more conventional grip and heft that you typically associate with better handling during telephoto or longer exposures. The added bulk accommodates a larger zoom range and manual controls.

If portability is your highest priority, the Olympus wins. If you want to feel more in control during longer sessions or telephoto shooting, Samsung offers superior ergonomics.

Control Layout and User Interface

How a camera feels in your hand and how intuitive the controls are greatly affect your creative flow.

• Olympus 9000 has a minimalist button set focused on ease of use. There’s no manual exposure mode, aperture priority, or shutter priority. Instead, the camera relies on its automatic modes designed for quick point-and-shoot action.
• Samsung HZ50W brings manual controls to the table, with shutter priority, aperture priority, and full manual exposure modes. Dedicated buttons and dials make these accessible during shooting.

For beginners or those who want to shift quickly and rely on automation, Olympus’s simplicity is a plus. But if you want to learn and experiment with manual settings - especially for creative control - the Samsung offers flexibility that will reward your efforts.

Sensor and Image Quality: What Lies Beneath

Both feature the same sensor size (1/2.3-inch CCD), but the differences in resolution and processing do matter.

The Samsung HZ50W’s 14-megapixel resolution edge and wider ISO sensitivity provide a substantial advantage - especially in lower-light shooting - and the presence of RAW format support means you retain maximum flexibility during post-processing. In contrast, Olympus’s capped ISO 1600 and no RAW mean you are tied to baked-in JPEGs with less latitude for adjustment.

From real-world shooting, the Samsung images display cleaner detail and better noise control at ISO ranges above 400. However, in bright daylight, the difference is less pronounced, and Olympus’s performance remains respectable.

LCD Screen and Viewfinder: Composing Your Shot

Composing images comfortably and reviewing them in different lighting conditions is essential.

• Olympus 9000: Fixed 2.7” 230K-pixel LCD screen, no viewfinder
• Samsung HZ50W: Fixed 3.0” 230K-pixel LCD screen, electronic viewfinder (EVF) included

The Samsung’s larger, same-resolution screen feels more comfortable for framing and menu navigation. More importantly, the inclusion of an EVF is a decisive feature - especially for outdoor shooting in bright sunlight where LCD glare can be an issue.

For street photographers or those who prefer eye-level framing, the EVF on the Samsung is a standout benefit, while Olympus relies solely on its back LCD, which can be tricky under intense light.

Lens and Zoom: Reach and Versatility in a Fixed Lens

Here’s where the cameras start to differentiate sharply.

The Olympus’s 10x zoom range is versatile, covering moderate wide-angle to medium telephoto. The standout is its amazing macro focusing at just 1 cm, perfect for tiny subjects like insects or flowers with stunning close-up detail.

Samsung’s lens offers an ambitious 26x optical zoom reaching 676mm equivalent, putting distant subjects like wildlife or sports well within reach - a real edge for telephoto enthusiasts. The lens is slightly brighter on the wide end (f/2.8 vs. f/3.2), giving better control over depth of field and light gathering.

Samsung also benefits from optical image stabilization integrated into the lens, generally more effective for long zooms. Olympus employs sensor-shift stabilization, good for handheld shots but less impactful at long focal lengths.

Autofocus Systems: Precision vs. Performance

Neither camera features phase-detection autofocus; both rely on contrast-detection systems, common in compact cameras of their era. Neither supports face or eye detection autofocus.

• Olympus 9000: Single AF with contrast detection, no AF tracking
• Samsung HZ50W: Single AF with contrast detection, supports center-weighted and multi-area AF

In practice, the Samsung’s autofocus is faster and more accurate, especially in multi-area mode, making it more reliable for moving subjects, though neither is ideally suited for fast action or sports photography.

Olympus’s AF is slower, optimized for static scenes or casual shooting, and less flexible.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Speed

Neither camera sports high-speed continuous shooting or silent shutter modes.

Samsung’s longer minimum shutter speed of 16 seconds helps in low-light or night scenes, whereas Olympus maxes at 4 seconds - limiting versatility in long exposures and astrophotography.

Both lack burst shot modes, unsuitable for action or sports photography either way.

Video Recording

Video capabilities are limited on both by modern standards:

Notably, Samsung’s ability to record 720p HD footage in H.264 format means better compression and potentially higher video quality. Olympus is limited to VGA resolution, suitable only for casual video.

Neither camera targets videographers seriously but consider Samsung if occasional HD clips are important.

Battery Life and Storage Options

Battery life info is sparse, but based on form factor and power needs:

• Olympus 9000 uses standard compact camera batteries; very light in weight, which points to shorter session capabilities.
• Samsung HZ50W uses a dedicated SLB-11A rechargeable Li-ion, generally offering extended shooting duration aligned with a bigger camera.

Storage-wise:

• Olympus supports xD Picture Cards, microSD cards, and internal memory.
• Samsung uses the more standard Secure Digital (SD/SDHC) cards plus internal memory.

For ease and longevity, Samsung’s choice of SD cards is a practical advantage, as xD cards have become outdated and less available.

Build Quality and Environmental Resilience

Neither camera offers weather sealing, dustproofing, or rugged features. Both are designed for everyday casual or enthusiast use indoors and outdoors in fair conditions.

If you anticipate shooting in challenging environments, you’ll need to look elsewhere or use protective accessories.

Summarizing Performance Scores and Photography Genre Suitability

To contextualize, here’s an aggregated perspective on their strengths across various photography genres:

And an overall performance rating:

Olympus Stylus 9000 shines in:

• Macro photography (superb close focusing distance)
• Travel and street photography (ultra-compact size)
• Casual snapshot use with simplicity in operation

Samsung HZ50W excels in:

• Wildlife and sports (due to long 26x zoom and better AF)
• Landscape (higher resolution, RAW, longer exposure)
• Video and creative manual shooting

Shooting Across Photography Genres: Detailed Insights

Portrait Photography

• Olympus 9000: Decent color but no face/eye AF, limited control due to fixed aperture priority. The 28-280mm lens can create nice subject-to-background separation at longer focal lengths, but aperture range (f/3.2-5.9) limits bokeh.
• Samsung HZ50W: Better control via manual modes, higher resolution, and extended zoom lets you create tighter headshots from a distance. No face detection AF remains a drawback.

Recommendation: Samsung offers more creative control for portraits; Olympus is more casual.

Landscape Photography

• Higher resolution and RAW support on Samsung provides more detail and dynamic range.
• Olympus’s compactness is nice for hiking but limited by ISO ceiling and lack of long exposure modes.
• Samsung’s longer shutter speeds (16 sec) enable creative night landscapes.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Neither camera is truly designed for sports, but Samsung’s 26x zoom gives undeniable reach for wildlife. AF speed remains a limitation on both. Burst mode is unavailable.

Street Photography

Olympus’s stealthy, pocketable size makes it ideal for candid street shots without drawing attention. Samsung’s size is more conspicuous but offers an EVF for bright-light shooting.

Macro Photography

Olympus has the clear edge with a macro focus distance of just 1 cm, letting you capture astonishing fine detail. Samsung’s 10 cm minimum macro distance is adequate but less versatile.

Night and Astro Photography

Samsung’s longer exposures and higher ISO range give you more chances for decent night shots. Olympus’s 4-sec max exposure limits long exposure astrophotography.

Video

Samsung offers HD video with better compression formats and stabilization. Olympus is limited to low-res VGA video.

Travel Photography

Olympus is feather-light and pocket size, perfect for travel. Samsung’s zoom versatility suits capturing everything from landscapes to distant scenes.

Professional Application

Neither camera stands out as a professional tool due to sensor size and performance limits, but Samsung’s RAW and manual controls make it better for entry-level enthusiasts seeking a workflow-compatible camera.

Connectivity, Extras, and Accessories

Both cameras lack wireless features, Bluetooth, or NFC. Samsung includes HDMI output for easy playback on TVs, Olympus does not.

Battery models and card types are conventional for their class; Samsung’s use of SD cards is future-proof.

Final Thoughts: Which One Should You Choose?

Choose the Olympus Stylus 9000 if you want:

• A super-portable camera for everyday carrying and spontaneous photography
• Excellent macro capabilities and simple point-and-shoot operation
• Lightweight camera for travel or street photography
• No fuss, immediate use without manual mode complexity
• Better flash control for close subjects in low light

Choose the Samsung HZ50W if you value:

• Versatility through extensive 26x zoom range for telephoto reach
• RAW shooting and manual exposure controls for learning and creative work
• An EVF to frame shots confidently in bright lighting conditions
• Better video options (720p HD) with stabilization
• More robust battery life and SD card compatibility

Some Sample Images From Both Cameras

To illustrate their actual output, here are comparative photo samples taken under similar conditions illustrating their respective image quality and fidelity:

Olympus 9000 front Olympus 9000 screen back Samsung HZ50W front Samsung HZ50W screen back

Wrapping Up

While both cameras are relics in today’s mirrorless and smartphone era, they still offer different appeals depending on your priorities. The Olympus Stylus 9000 is your stealthy companion packed with ease and macro prowess. The Samsung HZ50W provides serious zoom, creative flexibility, and a more traditional shooting experience.

Try to handle both, if possible. Experience their ergonomics and menus before deciding, because personal feel matters as much as specs. Armed with this knowledge, you’re ready to make your next camera choice with confidence and creativity.

Looking for accessories or to get started with lenses or memory cards? Check compatibility carefully for the Olympus’s xD and microSD cards, while Samsung aligns with the industry standard SD cards.

Happy shooting on your photographic journey!