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Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

Portability
68
Imaging
60
Features
93
Overall
73
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS front
Portability
89
Imaging
39
Features
47
Overall
42

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
  • Announced September 2016
  • Older Model is Olympus E-M1
  • Successor is Olympus E-M1 III
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
  • Released February 2012
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Overview

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are created by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-M1 II was introduced 4 years later than the SZ-31MR iHS and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a full comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-M1 II scores versus the SZ-31MR iHS in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

 E-M1 II SZ-31MR iHS 
ReleasedSeptember 2016February 2012More recent by 57 months
Focus manually Dial precise focus
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k920kSharper display (+117k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies

Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-31MR iHS over the Olympus E-M1 II

 SZ-31MR iHS E-M1 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

 E-M1 II SZ-31MR iHS 
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurements
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Physical Comparison

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 II features outside measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") along with a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has sizing of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M1 II and the SZ-31MR iHS.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and SZ-31MR iHS is 68 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it's hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements purely by checking out specs. The photograph here should give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 II and SZ-31MR iHS.

All in all, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 II using its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Olympus E-M1 II will produce greater detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II should have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Portrait photography features
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Portrait photography features
76
manual focus
good MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
features face detect focus
saves RAW files
34
resolution is good (16MP)
supports face detect focus
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
cannot use external flash
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Street photography with Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
78
fully articulated screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
comes with touch to focus
environment sealing
lighter than competition (574g)
great ISO range (25,600)
64
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
features touch focus
lighter than competitors in class (226g)
no articulating screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Sports photography features
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Sports photography features
75
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shooting (1/32,000 seconds)
high fps (60.0 frames/s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
features tracking focus
environment sealing
comes with phase detect auto focus
not so great battery (350 CIPA)
44
long zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
resolution is good (16MP)
supports tracking focus
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
not so great battery power (200 shots)
does not have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Travel photography features
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Travel photography features
72
lighter than competition (574g)
environment sealing
comes with touch to focus
good MP (20MP)
display is selfie friendly
not so great battery (350 per charge)
67
lighter than competitors in class (226g)
features touch focus
resolution is good (16MP)
built-in flash
quite wide (25mm)
very long reach (600mm)
lack of Time Lapse mode
not so great battery power (200 shots)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Landscape photography camera
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS as a Landscape photography camera
76
manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sized screen (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
doesnt have anti aliasing filter
great ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW files
environment sealing
2 card slots
not so great battery (350 per charge)
41
quite wide (25mm)
screen is a good size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
resolution is good (16MP)
focusing manually not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
no manual control
sensor is small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support
not so great battery power (200 per charge)
lack of Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-M1 II
Vlogging with Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
79
display is selfie friendly
touchscreen functionality
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detect focus
video res high (4096 x 2160 pixels)
does have microphone support
lighter than competition (574g)
35
quite wide (25mm)
touchscreen capability
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competitors in class (226g)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
lack of mic support
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIOlympus SZ-31MR iHS
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Olympus
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
Class Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced 2016-09-19 2012-02-08
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VIII Dual TruePic V
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 5184 x 3888 4608 x 3456
Maximum native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 80
RAW support
Minimum boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 121 -
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-600mm (24.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.0-6.9
Macro focusing range - 1cm
Available lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 1,037 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display technology - Hypercrystal III TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 4s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/1700s
Highest quiet shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shooting rate 60.0 frames per sec 7.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 9.10 m (at ISO 100) 9.30 m
Flash modes Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Maximum video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video file format MOV, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 574 gr (1.27 lb) 226 gr (0.50 lb)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 80 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.7 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.8 not tested
DXO Low light rating 1312 not tested
Other
Battery life 350 images 200 images
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLH-1 LI-50B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Two Single
Price at launch $1,700 $0