Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A380
88 Imaging
41 Features
51 Overall
45


68 Imaging
53 Features
54 Overall
53
Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A380 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 125 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 3840 x 2160 video
- 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
- 271g - 109 x 63 x 42mm
- Revealed February 2016
- Succeeded the Olympus SH-2
(Full Review)

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A380 Overview
Below is a extensive review of the Olympus SH-3 versus Sony A380, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the A380 (14MP) is relatively similar but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and A380 (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

The SH-3 was introduced 6 years later than the A380 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the SH-3 grades versus the A380 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A380 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Sony A380 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus SH-3 over the Sony A380
SH-3 | A380 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | February 2016 | ![]() | August 2009 | More recent by 79 months |
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper screen (+230k dot) |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A380 over the Olympus SH-3
A380 | SH-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | More exact focus | ||
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Common features in the Olympus SH-3 and Sony A380
SH-3 | A380 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen |
Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A380 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-3 features outer measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Sony A380 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).
Look at the Olympus SH-3 versus Sony A380 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the SH-3 and the A380.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-3 and A380 is 88 and 68 respectively.

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A380 Sensor Comparison
Often, it is difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements merely by going over a spec sheet. The photograph underneath might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and A380.
As you can see, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SH-3 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Olympus SH-3 will offer you more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The newer SH-3 should have an edge in sensor tech.

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A380 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A380 Specifications
Olympus Stylus SH-3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus Stylus SH-3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2016-02-08 | 2009-08-24 |
Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | TruePic VII | Bionz |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4592 x 3056 |
Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Lowest native ISO | 125 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Total focus points | - | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens zoom range | 25-600mm (24.0x) | - |
Max aperture | f/3.0-6.9 | - |
Macro focusing distance | 3cm | - |
Available lenses | - | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
Display diagonal | 3" | 2.7" |
Display resolution | 460k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 95 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.49x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 11.5fps | 3.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 8.30 m (at ISO 3200) | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash modes | Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | - | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 (15 fps), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | - |
Maximum video resolution | 3840x2160 | None |
Video format | H.264 | - |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 271 grams (0.60 pounds) | 519 grams (1.14 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 109 x 63 x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") | 128 x 97 x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | not tested | 67 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.8 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 614 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 380 shots | 500 shots |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LI-92B | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Storage slots | One | One |
Pricing at release | $579 | $899 |