Olympus SH-2 vs Sony RX10

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus SH-2 and Sony RX10, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SH-2 (16MP) and the RX10 (20MP) is fairly similar but the SH-2 (1/2.3") and RX10 (1") posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SH-2 was announced 12 months after the RX10 and they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief view of how the SH-2 scores versus the RX10 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-2 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-2 Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-2 provides physical dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Sony RX10 has dimensions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") along with a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-2 and Sony RX10 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the SH-2 and the RX10.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-2 and RX10 is 88 and 58 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions just by going over specs. The image below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-2 and RX10.

All in all, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SH-2 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony RX10 will offer you more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The newer SH-2 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.