Olympus E-500 vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

Here is a complete overview of the Olympus E-500 and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are created by Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was manufactured 7 years prior to the SZ-31MR iHS and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-500 grades vs the SZ-31MR iHS in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 offers physical dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has specifications of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-500 and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-500 vs the SZ-31MR iHS.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and SZ-31MR iHS is 70 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizing purely by researching technical specs. The graphic underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and SZ-31MR iHS.

As you can tell, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-500 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will result in extra detail due to its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older E-500 will be behind in sensor technology.