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Olympus SP-100

 
Olympus Stylus SP-100 front
 
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400 (Increase to 12800)
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-1200mm (F2.9-6.5) lens
  • 594g - 122 x 91 x 133mm
  • Revealed January 2014
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
63
Imaging
40
Features
48
Overall
43

Olympus SP-100 summary

Olympus SP-100 is Olympus's Small Sensor Superzoom camera initially announced on January of 2014. It features a 16 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a full resolution of 4608 x 3456.

The SP-100 is rated #87 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and over-all #587 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. Please use our Advanced camera finder to find camera results based on your personalized criteria.

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Here is a graph of various factors used in the rating system.

Olympus SP-100 family

The Olympus SP-100 comes with a history of related digital cameras. Underneath, you can look at all previous and more recent models along with main specs.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Olympus-Stylus-SH-3 front thumbnailOlympus SH-3
SP-100 vs SH-3
25-600mm
F3.0-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2016
Olympus-Stylus-SH-2 front thumbnailOlympus SH-2
SP-100 vs SH-2
25-600mm
F3.0-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2015
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Olympus-Stylus-SH-1 front thumbnailOlympus SH-1
SP-100 vs SH-1
25-600mm
F3.0-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2014
Olympus-Stylus-SP-100 front thumbnailOlympus SP-10024-1200mm
F2.9-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2014
Olympus-SZ-15 front thumbnailOlympus SZ-15
SP-100 vs SZ-15
23-483mm
F2.8-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Olympus-SH-50 front thumbnailOlympus SH-50
SP-100 vs SH-50
25-600mm
F3.0-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
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Olympus-SZ-16-iHS front thumbnailOlympus SZ-16 iHS
SP-100 vs SZ-16 iHS
25-600mm
F3.0-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2013
Olympus-Stylus-SP-820UZ front thumbnailOlympus SP-820UZ
SP-100 vs SP-820UZ
22-896mm
F3.4-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2012
Olympus-SZ-31MR-iHS front thumbnailOlympus SZ-31MR iHS
SP-100 vs SZ-31MR iHS
25-600mm
F3.0-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Olympus-SP-620-UZ front thumbnailOlympus SP-620 UZ
SP-100 vs SP-620 UZ
25-525mm
F3.1-5.8
16MP1/2.3"2012
Olympus-SZ-12 front thumbnailOlympus SZ-12
SP-100 vs SZ-12
25-600mm
F3.0-6.9
14MP1/2.3"2012
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Olympus-SZ-11 front thumbnailOlympus SZ-11
SP-100 vs SZ-11
25-500mm
F3.0-6.9
14MP1/2.3"2011
Olympus-SP-810-UZ front thumbnailOlympus SP-810 UZ
SP-100 vs SP-810 UZ
24-864mm
F2.9-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Olympus-SZ-30MR front thumbnailOlympus SZ-30MR
SP-100 vs SZ-30MR
25-600mm
F3.0-6.9
16MP1/2.3"2011
Olympus-SZ-10 front thumbnailOlympus SZ-10
SP-100 vs SZ-10
28-504mm
F3.1-4.4
14MP1/2.3"2011
Olympus-SP-610UZ front thumbnailOlympus SP-610UZ
SP-100 vs SP-610UZ
28-616mm
F3.3-5.7
14MP1/2.3"2011
Olympus-SP-600-UZ front thumbnailOlympus SP-600 UZ
SP-100 vs SP-600 UZ
28-420mm
F3.5-5.4
12MP1/2.3"2010
Olympus-SP-800-UZ front thumbnailOlympus SP-800 UZ
SP-100 vs SP-800 UZ
28-840mm
F2.8-5.6
14MP1/2.3"2010
Olympus-SP-565UZ front thumbnailOlympus SP-565UZ
SP-100 vs SP-565UZ
26-520mm
F2.8-4.5
10MP1/2.3"2009
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Olympus-SP-590-UZ front thumbnailOlympus SP-590 UZ
SP-100 vs SP-590 UZ
26-676mm
F2.8-5.0
12MP1/2.3"2009

Olympus SP-100 Pros and Cons

Below is a list of pluses and minuses of the Olympus SP-100 based on features that are usually regarded as useful in a camera.

comes with external microphone support
comes with face detection autofocus
comes with HDMI out
comes with tracking autofocus
flash built-in
good sized screen (3 inch)
good video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
great zoom range (24-1200mm 50.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
long reach (1200mm)
manual focus
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
relatively wide (24mm)
can't use external flash
does not have phase detect autofocus
does not have RAW format
does not posses selfie friendly display
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
missing headphone support
missing Timelapse mode
more heavy than competitors (594 grams)
no articulating screen
screen has low resolution (460 k dots)
slow at full zoom (f6.5)
sluggish max aperture (f2.9)
small sensor (1/2.3")
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Olympus SP-100 Sensor details

The sensor measurement in the Olympus SP-100 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to capture 4608 x 3456 pixels at aspect ratios of 4:3. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is superior than digital stabilization as the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 16 megapixels and includes a native ISO range of 125 - 6400. This ISO can also be expanded electronically to a high of 12800. Sadly, RAW photos are not supported therefore the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below illustrates the SP-100's sensor dimensions in comparison to other common sizes. The SP-100 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

Olympus Stylus SP-100 sensor size C500 Mark II gets new Cinema RAW Light modes from Canon

To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Olympus SP-100 dimensions

Olympus SP-100 weighs around 1.31 lbs (594 grams or 20.95 oz) and the over all size of the camera is 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2"). The weight of average Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 grams so the Olympus SP-100 is weightier compared with various rivals.

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Listed below is a pic of the Olympus SP-100 next to a soft drink so you can have a sense of its scale.

Olympus Stylus SP-100 dimensions scale

The top view here will provide the button design on the SP-100.

Olympus Stylus SP-100 topview buttons dials

Olympus SP-100 Lens specs

The SP-100 includes a built-in lens and a focal range of 24-1200mm making it a 50.0 x zoom which is exceptional and does enable you to zoom right in.

At the widest 24mm, the lens offers an aperture of f2.9 and that is quite slow and not great in low light events and you will probably find it hard to capture good bokeh. You will probably also need to boost the ISO leading to noisy pictures. For the tele end, 1200mm is amazing zoom and comes with f6.5 which is really slow and you may need to use slow shutter speeds.

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Olympus SP-100 Connectivity

The SP-100 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that include NFC and / or Bluetooth connectivity can easily be used wirelessly with smartphones. You can transfer pictures and sometimes change settings without connecting straight to the camera.

A few applications even enable a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it could be hooked up to an external display. Nearly all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Olympus SP-100 Video specs

The highest possible video resolution in the Olympus SP-100 is 1920 x 1080 and it can capture in H.264 format. 1080p resolution gives you an excellent balance between quality vs file sizes but 1080p isn't going to leave you with much room to downsample. Even though the camera includes a microphone jack, it is sadly missing a headphone jack which means you will not have the capability to monitor your sound levels.

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Olympus SP-100 Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing for the Olympus SP-100 so you need to be careful in rainy or dusty situations.

Olympus SP-100 Display and Viewfinder

The Olympus SP-100 features a 3" fixed screen boasting a resolution of 460k dots.

Please note that the screen offers no touch support.

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The View Finder specs regarding Olympus SP-100 are the following:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • ViewFinder Resolution 920k dots

Viewfinders are pretty handy during bright outdoor situations which will make the camera display washed out and difficult to view.

Olympus SP-100 Shutter specs

Olympus SP-100 is able to shoot continuously at 7.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/1700 sec.

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Olympus SP-100 Flash and Hot shoe specs

Olympus SP-100 includes only built-in flash lacking external flash support.

Olympus SP-100 Autofocusing specs

Olympus SP-100 includes just Contrast Based AF and doesn't have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more faster and accurate compared with Contrast Based focusing. The camera features Face detect which is handy for portrait photography.

It also features Tracking AF for things on the move. Olympus SP-100 boasts manual focusing if required during low light conditions or you want more precise focusing control.

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Olympus SP-100 Battery life

The battery life (LI-92B) for the Olympus SP-100 is made to last for 330 pictures as per the CIPA measurements making it about average when compared to its competitors. The average Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR offers the best (600) battery life within this category of cameras.

Here is a number of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras with the highest battery life:

Olympus SP-100 for various forms of photography

The following bar chart indicates a outline of the Olympus SP-100 for various forms of photography. To read more, visit the specific paragraph below.

Olympus SP-100 as a Portrait photography camera

The Olympus SP-100 has a score of 44 which is dreadful, and means the camera is not really good to use for portrait photos. Shooting portraits leans greatly towards sensor dimension, RAW support along with the ability to use off-camera flash.

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manual focus
resolution is good (16 megapixels)
comes with face detect focusing
no external flash support
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support

Olympus SP-100 Street photography information

Coming in at a dreadful rating of 42, the Olympus SP-100 is not really good to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera offers a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.

C500 Mark II gets new Cinema RAW Light modes from Canon
has image stabilization (Optical)
screen does not articulate
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW support
heavier than competition (594g)

Olympus SP-100 Sports photography advice

A reasonable sports photography points tally of 53 indicates the Olympus SP-100 is reasonably suited for taking pictures of sports. A camera should have great autofocus plus shutter speeds for sports photography.

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excellent zoom range (24-1200mm 50.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (16 megapixels)
features tracking focus
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect autofocus

Olympus SP-100 Travel photography factors

Size is pretty critical when selecting a camera for travel. On the whole, the Olympus SP-100 gets a decent 53 as a travelling camera which is somewhat suited to take with you on your holidays.

OM System OM-1 Set to Enhance Autofocus
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
really wide (24mm)
very long reach (1200mm)
does not have Timelapse mode
more heavy than competition in class (594g)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.9)

Olympus SP-100 Landscape photography highlights

For those who are looking to buy a camera for landscape photos, the most essential aspect is going to be image quality. The Olympus SP-100 with it's decent score of 47 for a landscape camera is fairly acceptable amongst its rivals.

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focusing manually
fairly wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good resolution (16MP)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.9)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
lack of Time Lapse recording

Olympus SP-100 Vlogging details

A vlogging camera should posses a moving display, microphone input and ideally image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Olympus SP-100 is not really good as a vlog camera as it delivers a dreadful rating of 29.

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pretty wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
comes with face detection focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does have external microphone support
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.9)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
more heavy than competitors (594g)

Olympus SP-100 Alternatives

If you are in the market for replacements to the SP-100, below is a number of the top ranked cameras that fall within the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The chart underneath shows you a bird's eye view of the SP-100 versus it's top ranked rivals shown above.

Following are several cameras you may take a look at as alternative options. To read a thorough comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Olympus
Model type
Olympus Stylus SP-100
Category
Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed
2014-01-29
Physical type
SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
16MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3
Max resolution
4608 x 3456
RAW files
Max native ISO
6400
Max enhanced ISO
12800
Minimum native ISO
125
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Cross type focus points
0
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
24-1200mm (50.0x)
Maximal aperture
f/2.9-6.5
Macro focusing distance
1cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Display type
Fixed Type
Display sizing
3 inch
Display resolution
460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display tech
TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
920k dots
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30 secs
Fastest shutter speed
1/1700 secs
Continuous shutter rate
7.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash options
Auto, Red Eye Reduction, Fill-in, Off
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video file format
H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
Optional
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
594 gr (1.31 pounds)
Physical dimensions
122 x 91 x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2")
Other
Battery life
330 photos
Type of battery
Battery Pack
Battery ID
LI-92B
Self timer
Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC, internal
Card slots
1
Retail price
$400