Olympus SH-3 vs Sony RX10

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus SH-3 vs Sony RX10, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the RX10 (20MP) is fairly close but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and RX10 (1") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-3 was manufactured 23 months later than the RX10 making them a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SH-3 matches up versus the RX10 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus SH-3 has got external dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Sony RX10 has proportions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") and a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-3 vs Sony RX10 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the SH-3 versus the RX10.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-3 and RX10 is 88 and 58 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizing just by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will help give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-3 and RX10.

As you can see, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SH-3 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony RX10 will render greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images way more aggressively. The newer SH-3 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.