Olympus SH-2 vs Samsung NX500

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus SH-2 and Samsung NX500, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Samsung. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the SH-2 (16MP) and NX500 (28MP) and the SH-2 (1/2.3") and NX500 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SH-2 was manufactured 2 months after the NX500 so they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Samsung NX500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the SH-2 scores versus the NX500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SH-2 and Samsung NX500. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SH-2 Gallery and Samsung NX500 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus SH-2 enjoys outside 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 NX500 has proportions of 120mm x 64mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-2 and Samsung NX500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the SH-2 and the NX500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and NX500 is 88 and 87 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions just by viewing technical specs. The image below will offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-2 and NX500.

As you can tell, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SH-2 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Samsung NX500 will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively.