Olympus SP-100 vs Sony W290

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus SP-100 versus Sony W290, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the SP-100 (16MP) and W290 (12MP) but both cameras provide the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The SP-100 was unveiled 5 years later than the W290 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony W290 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the SP-100 matches up vs the W290 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SP-100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-100 Gallery and Sony W290 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SP-100 has got external measurements of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") along with a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Sony W290 has measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SP-100 versus Sony W290 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the SP-100 versus the W290.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-100 and W290 is 63 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it can be difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizing only by checking a spec sheet. The graphic here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-100 and W290.

Clearly, both of the cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You should expect the Olympus SP-100 to give more detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The newer SP-100 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.