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

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.

Photography Glossary

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.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery.

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.

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.

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

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.