Olympus SH-2 vs Sony A700

Following is a detailed analysis of the Olympus SH-2 vs Sony A700, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the SH-2 (16MP) and A700 (12MP) and the SH-2 (1/2.3") and A700 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SH-2 was introduced 7 years after the A700 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the SH-2 grades against the A700 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Sony A700 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SH-2 has got external measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Sony A700 has specifications of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") having a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SH-2 vs Sony A700 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the SH-2 compared to the A700.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-2 and A700 is 88 and 58 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizes just by reading a spec sheet. The picture below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-2 and A700.

Clearly, the two cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SH-2 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Olympus SH-2 will offer extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The younger SH-2 provides a benefit in sensor tech.