Olympus SP-100 vs Sony A380

Following is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus SP-100 and Sony A380, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SP-100 (16MP) and the A380 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the SP-100 (1/2.3") and A380 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The SP-100 was revealed 4 years after the A380 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summation of how the SP-100 matches up versus the A380 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The full galleries are available at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Sony A380 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-100 comes with exterior dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") having a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Sony A380 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SP-100 and Sony A380 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the SP-100 compared to the A380.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SP-100 and A380 is 63 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to envision the difference in sensor sizes only by seeing specs. The picture underneath may give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-100 and A380.

All in all, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SP-100 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Olympus SP-100 will produce greater detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics much more aggressively. The younger SP-100 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.