Olympus E-3 vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was introduced 5 years earlier than the SZ-31MR iHS and that is quite a large gap as far as tech 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-31MR iHS being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-3 scores vs the SZ-31MR iHS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-3 and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 has got outer dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus SZ-31MR iHS in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-3 compared to the SZ-31MR iHS.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-3 and SZ-31MR iHS is 56 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to envision the contrast between sensor measurements only by reading technical specs. The visual underneath might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and SZ-31MR iHS.

As you can tell, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-3 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will offer you extra detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.