Olympus FE-47 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus FE-47 and Sigma DP3 Merrill, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sigma. The resolution of the FE-47 (14MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is relatively close but the FE-47 (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The FE-47 was launched 4 years before the DP3 Merrill which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus FE-47 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the FE-47 scores against the DP3 Merrill with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-47 & Sigma DP3 Merrill. The complete galleries are available at Olympus FE-47 Gallery & Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus FE-47 has got exterior measurements of 98mm x 61mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 204 grams (0.45 lbs) and the Sigma DP3 Merrill has measurements of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Check the Olympus FE-47 and Sigma DP3 Merrill in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the FE-47 versus the DP3 Merrill.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the FE-47 and DP3 Merrill is 93 and 83 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizes only by viewing a spec sheet. The pic underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-47 and DP3 Merrill.

Clearly, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The FE-47 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will result in more detail utilizing its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged FE-47 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.