Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A850

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus SH-3 versus Sony A850, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and A850 (25MP) and the SH-3 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The SH-3 was introduced 5 years later than the A850 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going in to a thorough comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the SH-3 matches up versus the A850 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Sony A850 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-3 comes with outside 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 A850 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") having a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-3 versus Sony A850 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the SH-3 compared to the A850.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-3 and A850 is 88 and 54 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizing simply by reading through specifications. The visual below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-3 and A850.

Plainly, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SH-3 with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony A850 will give you extra detail using its extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more recent SH-3 will have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.