Olympus SH-1 vs Sony W550

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus SH-1 vs Sony W550, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SH-1 (16MP) and the W550 (14MP) is very similar and they enjoy the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The SH-1 was revealed 2 years later than the W550 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick overview of how the SH-1 matches up versus the W550 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SH-1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The full galleries are available at Olympus SH-1 Gallery & Sony W550 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-1 enjoys outside measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Sony W550 has measurements of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-1 vs Sony W550 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose during that time. Following is the front view measurement comparison of the SH-1 against the W550.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-1 and W550 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Typically, its tough to envision the contrast between sensor measurements merely by going over technical specs. The graphic underneath will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-1 and W550.

As you have seen, each of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus SH-1 to deliver more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The younger SH-1 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.