Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35
88 Imaging
41 Features
51 Overall
45


69 Imaging
56 Features
70 Overall
61
Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35 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
- Released February 2016
- Superseded the Olympus SH-2
(Full Review)

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35 Overview
The following is a complete assessment of the Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the A35 (16MP) is fairly close but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and A35 (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.

The SH-3 was released 4 years after the A35 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony A35 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the SH-3 scores vs the A35 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Sony SLT-A35. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Sony A35 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus SH-3 over the Sony A35
SH-3 | A35 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | February 2016 | ![]() | September 2011 | Newer by 54 months |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A35 over the Olympus SH-3
A35 | SH-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very exact focusing | ||
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 460k | Clearer display (+461k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus SH-3 and Sony A35
SH-3 | A35 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent display sizing |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither provides selfie screen |
Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35 Physical Comparison
For those who are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-3 provides outside dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Sony A35 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 415 grams (0.91 lbs).
Check out the Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use during that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the SH-3 against the A35.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-3 and A35 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it can be hard to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions simply by viewing a spec sheet. The picture here will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-3 and A35.
Clearly, each of the cameras enjoy the same exact megapixel count but different sensor dimensions. The SH-3 offers the smaller sensor which should make obtaining bokeh tougher. The newer SH-3 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SH-3 vs Sony A35 Specifications
Olympus Stylus SH-3 | Sony SLT-A35 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus Stylus SH-3 | Sony SLT-A35 |
Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level DSLR |
Released | 2016-02-08 | 2011-09-20 |
Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic VII | Bionz |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4912 x 3264 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 125 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect focus | ||
Contract detect focus | ||
Phase detect focus | ||
Total focus points | - | 15 |
Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Lens zoom range | 25-600mm (24.0x) | - |
Maximal aperture | f/3.0-6.9 | - |
Macro focusing range | 3cm | - |
Total lenses | - | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
Display resolution | 460k dot | 921k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,150k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 11.5fps | 6.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 8.30 m (at ISO 3200) | 12.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, redeye reduction, fill-in, off | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | - | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 (15 fps), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 3840x2160 | 1920x1080 |
Video format | H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, 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 | 271g (0.60 pounds) | 415g (0.91 pounds) |
Dimensions | 109 x 63 x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") | 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 74 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.3 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.7 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 763 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 380 photos | 440 photos |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LI-92B | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | One | One |
Retail cost | $579 | $598 |