Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony W550 Comparison

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Olympus SZ-30MR

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony W550

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony W550 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Compact cameras from Olympus and Sony. Olympus SZ-30MR was introduced to market in March 2011 and Sony W550 was launched in July 2011. There is only 5 months difference between SZ-30MR and W550 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Olympus SZ-30MR has a 16.0 MP and Sony W550 has a 14.0 MP resolution.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus SZ-30MR Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-03-02

16MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200

25-600 mm F3.0-6.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

2 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

226g. 106 x 69 x 40 mm

Sony W550 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-07-24

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200

26-104 mm F2.7-5.7 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

110g. 94 x 56 x 19 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Olympus SZ-30MR over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550

Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 14 MP	14% more pixels
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/1700s vs 1/1600s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.0fps	1 fps faster
Focal Length - Wide	25mm vs 26mm	1 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	600mm vs 104mm	496 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	24× vs 4×	more flexible focal coverage
Flash Coverage	4.0m vs 3.8m	0.2m longer range
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720	Higher Resolution Video

Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550 over Olympus SZ-30MR

Weight	110 g vs 226 g	116 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide	2.70 vs 3.00	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	5.70 vs 6.90	faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area	2.01µm² vs 1.76µm²	14% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light

Common Weaknesses of Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
LCD Screen Resolution	460k dots vs 230k dots	Low resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	2.0fps vs 1.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele	6.90 vs 5.70	Slow lenses at tele

Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony W550: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus SZ-30MR has external dimensions of 106 x 69 x 40 mm (4.17 x 2.72 x 1.57″) and weighs 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz) (including batteries). Sony W550 has external dimensions of 94 x 56 x 19 mm (3.7 x 2.2 x 0.75″) and weighs 110 g (0.24 lb / 3.88 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550. Sony W550 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 12mm narrower, 13mm shorter and 21mm thinner than Olympus SZ-30MR.

Comparison image of Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550.

Top View Comparison image of Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony W550 is significantly lighter (116g ) than the Olympus SZ-30MR which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

SZ-30MR

W550

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

SZ-30MR

W550

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Olympus SZ-30MR nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony W550: Sensor Comparison

Olympus SZ-30MR has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic III+ processor. On the other hand, Sony W550 has a 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features BIONZ processor.

Below you can see the SZ-30MR and W550 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 Cameras

Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Sony W550 has 14% larger pixel area (2.01µm² vs 1.76µm²) compared to Olympus SZ-30MR, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony W550 Lens Specs Comparison

Olympus SZ-30MR features a 25-600 mm F3.0-6.9 24× zoom lens whereas Sony W550 features a 26-104 mm F2.7-5.7 4× zoom lens.

Olympus SZ-30MR has 1mm wider coverage than the Sony W550. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.70, Sony W550 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Olympus SZ-30MR has 496mm longer reach than the Sony W550. However, with a max aperture of f5.70, Sony W550 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

SZ-30MR

W550

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

SZ-30MR

W550

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

SZ-30MR

W550

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

SZ-30MR

W550

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Olympus SZ-30MR for Portrait Photography

POOR

Sony W550 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony W550 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.70
26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR for Sports Photography

POOR

Sony W550 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
600 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1700s
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.90
Read the details

Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1600s
9 Focus Points
104 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony W550 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Compact Body
226g
24.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details

Compact Body
110g
Body Thickness 19mm
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony W550 for Landscape Photography

POOR

25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

26 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony W550: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony W550 scores compare:

Olympus SZ-30MR

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #213 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #790 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Sony W550

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #85 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #1037 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Olympus SZ-30MR is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony W550 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Olympus SZ-30MR.

Sony W550 vs Olympus SZ-30MR Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Olympus SZ-30MR	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550
Brand	Olympus	Sony
Announced	2011-03-02	2011-07-24
Body Type	Compact	Ultracompact
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	14 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4320 x 3240
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	80 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	n/a	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-600 mm (24×)	26-104 mm (4×)
Max Aperture	F3.0-6.9	F2.7-5.7
Macro Focus Range	1cm	5cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	460k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1700s	1/1600s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.00 m	3.80 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	2.0 fps	1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1280 x 720
Video Formats	MPEG-4	MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Eye-Fi Connected	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	226g	110g
Dimensions	106 x 69 x 40mm	94 x 56 x 19mm
Battery Life	220 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction