Olympus SH-2 vs Sony A57

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus SH-2 versus Sony A57, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SH-2 (16MP) and the A57 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the SH-2 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-2 was released 2 years later than the A57 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the SH-2 matches up against the A57 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-2 and Sony SLT-A57. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SH-2 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SH-2 features outside dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Sony A57 has proportions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") along with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-2 versus Sony A57 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the SH-2 against the A57.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and A57 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to see the gap between sensor measurements merely by checking a spec sheet. The visual below will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-2 and A57.

Clearly, both cameras provide the same MP but not the same sensor measurements. The SH-2 contains the tinier sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field more challenging. The more modern SH-2 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.