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Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

Portability
93
Imaging
36
Features
33
Overall
34
Canon PowerShot N front
 
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS front
Portability
89
Imaging
39
Features
47
Overall
42

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Key Specs

Canon N
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.8" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-224mm (F3.0-5.9) lens
  • 195g - 79 x 60 x 29mm
  • Introduced January 2013
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
  • Released February 2012
Photography Glossary

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Overview

In this article, we are reviewing the Canon N and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Canon and Olympus. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the N (12MP) and SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) but they come with the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The N was manufactured 12 months later than the SZ-31MR iHS and they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the N scores vs the SZ-31MR iHS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Canon N over the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

 N SZ-31MR iHS 
ReleasedJanuary 2013February 2012Fresher by 12 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-31MR iHS over the Canon N

 SZ-31MR iHS N 
Display sizing3"2.8"Larger display (+0.2")
Display resolution920k461kClearer display (+459k dot)

Common features in the Canon N and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

 N SZ-31MR iHS 
Manual focus No manual focusing
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Physical Comparison

If you're looking to carry your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Canon N comes with external measurements of 79mm x 60mm x 29mm (3.1" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 195 grams (0.43 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has sizing of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon N and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose at the time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the N compared to the SZ-31MR iHS.

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the N and SZ-31MR iHS is 93 and 89 respectively.

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS top view buttons comparison

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it can be hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizing merely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the N and SZ-31MR iHS.

Clearly, the two cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different resolution. You should expect to see the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS to show extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images far more aggressively. The fresher N should have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS sensor size comparison

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Screen and ViewFinder

Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon N Portrait photography highlights
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Portrait photography highlights
21
no manual focus
no manual mode
can't use external flash
sensor resolution low (12MP)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
34
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
includes face detect focusing
manual focus not available
no manual control
external flash not possible
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Canon N Street photography information
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Street photography information
65
tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
64
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports focus via touch
lighter than competitors in class (226 grams)
screen does not articulate
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Canon N Sports photography features
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Sports photography features
25
has image stabilization (Optical)
slow frames per second (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
low battery (200 shots)
lack of phase detect AF
44
great zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent megapixels (16MP)
includes tracking focus
no shutter priority
sensor is small (1/2.3")
terrible battery (200 per charge)
has no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Canon N
Travel photography with Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
61
flash built-in
screen is selfie friendly
quite wide (28mm)
no Timelapse function
low battery (200 CIPA)
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
67
lighter than competitors in class (226 grams)
supports focus via touch
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
pretty wide (25mm)
very long zoom (600mm)
lack of Time Lapse recording
terrible battery (200 shots)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon N Landscape photography highlights
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Landscape photography highlights
36
quite wide (28mm)
nice screen size (2.8 inches)
has image stabilization (Optical)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
no manual mode
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
low battery (200 CIPA)
no Timelapse function
41
pretty wide (25mm)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent megapixels (16MP)
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
no manual control
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
terrible battery (200 shots)
lack of Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon N Vlogging factors
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Vlogging factors
72
quite wide (28mm)
screen is selfie friendly
touch screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
no external microphone support
35
pretty wide (25mm)
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes face detect focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than competitors in class (226g)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
lack of mic support
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Canon N vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon N and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
 Canon PowerShot NOlympus SZ-31MR iHS
General Information
Brand Name Canon Olympus
Model Canon PowerShot N Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
Class Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Superzoom
Introduced 2013-01-07 2012-02-08
Physical type Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Digic 5 Dual TruePic V
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4000 x 2248 4608 x 3456
Maximum native ISO 6400 6400
Lowest native ISO 80 80
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 28-224mm (8.0x) 25-600mm (24.0x)
Maximum aperture f/3.0-5.9 f/3.0-6.9
Macro focus distance 1cm 1cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Fixed Type
Screen sizing 2.8 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 461 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology PureColor II G touch Hypercrystal III TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 15s 4s
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000s 1/1700s
Continuous shooting rate 2.0fps 7.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range - 9.30 m
Flash modes - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (24 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 120 fps), 320 x 240 ( 240 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS Optional None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 195 grams (0.43 pounds) 226 grams (0.50 pounds)
Dimensions 79 x 60 x 29mm (3.1" x 2.4" x 1.1") 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 200 shots 200 shots
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NB-9L LI-50B
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 1 1
Pricing at launch $299 $0