Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A580

Below is a complete analysis of the Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A580, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the A580 (16MP) is pretty close but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) use different sensor size.

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The SH-3 was revealed 4 years later than the A580 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the SH-3 scores vs the A580 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Sony A580 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus SH-3 provides external measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Sony A580 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A580 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the SH-3 compared to the A580.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-3 and A580 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Typically, its tough to picture the gap in sensor measurements simply by researching specifications. The photograph below might give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and A580.

Plainly, the two cameras posses the exact same megapixel count albeit different sensor measurements. The SH-3 includes the smaller sensor which will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging. The more recent SH-3 should have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.