Olympus SH-1 vs Sony A290

Here is a thorough comparison of the Olympus SH-1 and Sony A290, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SH-1 (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is fairly close but the SH-1 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizing.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The SH-1 was brought out 3 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the SH-1 matches up vs the A290 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-1 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-1 offers outer measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Sony A290 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-1 and Sony A290 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the SH-1 compared to the A290.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-1 and A290 is 88 and 66 respectively.

Generally, its tough to see the gap in sensor sizing just by viewing technical specs. The photograph below may give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-1 and A290.

As you have seen, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SH-1 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus SH-1 will provide you with more detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images way more aggressively. The more modern SH-1 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor tech.