Leica V-Lux 3 vs Olympus SH-1

The following is a complete comparison of the Leica V-Lux 3 vs Olympus SH-1, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by companies Leica and Olympus. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the V-Lux 3 (12MP) and SH-1 (16MP) but both cameras boast the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The V-Lux 3 was revealed 3 years prior to the SH-1 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Leica V-Lux 3 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the V-Lux 3 matches up vs the SH-1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Leica V-Lux 3 and Olympus Stylus SH-1. The full galleries are available at Leica V-Lux 3 Gallery and Olympus SH-1 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Leica V-Lux 3 comes with external measurements of 124mm x 81mm x 95mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.7") and a weight of 540 grams (1.19 lbs) whilst the Olympus SH-1 has measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs).

Take a look at the Leica V-Lux 3 vs Olympus SH-1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the V-Lux 3 compared to the SH-1.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the V-Lux 3 and SH-1 is 67 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions purely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture here should provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the V-Lux 3 and SH-1.

Clearly, both of those cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different MP. You should expect to see the Olympus SH-1 to result in more detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged V-Lux 3 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.