Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A550

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus SH-3 versus Sony A550, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the A550 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) boast different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SH-3 was unveiled 6 years after the A550 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the SH-3 scores against the A550 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are available at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-3 enjoys outer measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Sony A550 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus SH-3 versus Sony A550 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the SH-3 compared to the A550.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-3 and A550 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it's tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizes purely by checking a spec sheet. The image underneath should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and A550.

As you can see, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SH-3 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Olympus SH-3 will give more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more modern SH-3 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.