Olympus SP-100 vs Sony A350

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus SP-100 vs Sony A350, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SP-100 (16MP) and the A350 (14MP) is pretty similar but the SP-100 (1/2.3") and A350 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

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The SP-100 was unveiled 5 years later than the A350 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A350 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving into a detailed comparison, here is a brief summation of how the SP-100 scores versus the A350 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Sony A350 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-100 provides external dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") accompanied by a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) and the Sony A350 has dimensions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 674 grams (1.49 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SP-100 vs Sony A350 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the SP-100 versus the A350.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SP-100 and A350 is 63 and 62 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements just by reviewing technical specs. The graphic underneath might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-100 and A350.

As you can tell, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SP-100 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Olympus SP-100 will offer extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The younger SP-100 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.