Olympus SH-2 vs Sony A560

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus SH-2 and Sony A560, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SH-2 (16MP) and the A560 (14MP) is pretty close but the SH-2 (1/2.3") and A560 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-2 was brought out 4 years later than the A560 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the SH-2 matches up versus the A560 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-2 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SH-2 Gallery and Sony A560 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-2 offers exterior dimensions 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 A560 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-2 and Sony A560 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the SH-2 vs the A560.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-2 and A560 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing purely by looking through a spec sheet. The visual underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-2 and A560.

As you can see, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SH-2 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Olympus SH-2 will render greater detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The more recent SH-2 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.