Nikon D300 vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

In this article, we will be analyzing the Nikon D300 vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Nikon and Olympus. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the D300 (12MP) and SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the D300 (APS-C) and SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The D300 was manufactured 4 years prior to the SZ-31MR iHS and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Nikon D300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a short summary of how the D300 scores vs the SZ-31MR iHS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon D300 & Olympus SZ-31MR iHS. The entire galleries are viewable at Nikon D300 Gallery & Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Nikon D300 comes with outer dimensions of 147mm x 114mm x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") along with a weight of 925 grams (2.04 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check the Nikon D300 vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is the front view scale comparison of the D300 versus the SZ-31MR iHS.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the D300 and SZ-31MR iHS is 55 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it is hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing just by going through specifications. The visual below will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the D300 and SZ-31MR iHS.

Plainly, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The D300 because of its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will show more detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The older D300 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.