Olympus SP-100 vs Sony A99

Here is a thorough comparison of the Olympus SP-100 vs Sony A99, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the SP-100 (16MP) and A99 (24MP) and the SP-100 (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The SP-100 was released 14 months later than the A99 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a short summary of how the SP-100 matches up versus the A99 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Sony SLT-A99. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SP-100 has physical measurements of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") accompanied by a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Sony A99 has proportions of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") along with a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Check the Olympus SP-100 vs Sony A99 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the SP-100 versus the A99.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the SP-100 and A99 is 63 and 57 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing just by reading technical specs. The graphic below should give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-100 and A99.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SP-100 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A99 will deliver more detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos much more aggressively. The fresher SP-100 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.