Olympus SH-1 vs Samsung CL5

The following is a extended review of the Olympus SH-1 versus Samsung CL5, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Samsung. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the SH-1 (16MP) and CL5 (9MP) and the SH-1 (1/2.3") and CL5 (1/2.5") come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The SH-1 was manufactured 5 years after the CL5 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera and the Samsung CL5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the SH-1 scores vs the CL5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-1 & Samsung CL5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SH-1 Gallery & Samsung CL5 Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-1 has exterior measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Samsung CL5 has measurements of 93mm x 60mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.7") with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-1 versus Samsung CL5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the SH-1 compared to the CL5.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-1 and CL5 is 88 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to see the gap in sensor dimensions merely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture here may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-1 and CL5.

As you can see, the two cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SH-1 due to its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Olympus SH-1 will result in more detail due to its extra 7 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more modern SH-1 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.