Olympus SH-2 vs Sony A450

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus SH-2 and Sony A450, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SH-2 (16MP) and the A450 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the SH-2 (1/2.3") and A450 (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The SH-2 was manufactured 5 years later than the A450 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Sony A450 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summation of how the SH-2 grades vs the A450 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-2 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A450. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SH-2 Gallery and Sony A450 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-2 provides physical 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 A450 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.2") and a weight of 560 grams (1.23 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SH-2 and Sony A450 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the SH-2 and the A450.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and A450 is 88 and 65 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reading through specs. The photograph below should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-2 and A450.

All in all, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SH-2 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Olympus SH-2 will give extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images a little more aggressively. The newer SH-2 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.