Olympus E-3 vs Olympus SZ-30MR

Following is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-3 vs Olympus SZ-30MR, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are sold by Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and SZ-30MR (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and SZ-30MR (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was announced 4 years before the SZ-30MR which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a full comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-3 scores against the SZ-30MR in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-3 and Olympus SZ-30MR. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 has outside dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-30MR has specifications of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-3 vs Olympus SZ-30MR in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-3 compared to the SZ-30MR.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and SZ-30MR is 56 and 89 respectively.

Typically, its hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizes just by looking through specs. The picture here might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and SZ-30MR.

All in all, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-3 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus SZ-30MR will provide you with more detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.