Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-15
67 Imaging
61 Features
96 Overall
75
88 Imaging
39 Features
50 Overall
43
Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-15 Key Specs
(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 Maximum Shutter
- 4096 x 2160 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 580g - 134 x 91 x 69mm
- Introduced February 2020
- Replaced the Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 23-483mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 250g - 108 x 70 x 40mm
- Released June 2013
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Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-M1 III versus Olympus SZ-15, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and SZ-15 (16MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and SZ-15 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor dimensions.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe E-M1 III was announced 6 years after the SZ-15 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera.
Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-M1 III grades vs the SZ-15 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III & Olympus SZ-15. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery & Olympus SZ-15 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Olympus SZ-15
| E-M1 III | SZ-15 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | February 2020 | June 2013 | More modern by 81 months | |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Screen resolution | 1037k | 460k | Crisper screen (+577k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies | |||
| Touch screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-15 over the Olympus E-M1 III
| SZ-15 | E-M1 III |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Olympus SZ-15
| E-M1 III | SZ-15 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Dial accurate focus | |||
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal screen sizing |
Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-15 Physical Comparison
If you're planning to carry around your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 III comes with exterior measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-15 has dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-M1 III versus Olympus SZ-15 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 III and the SZ-15.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 III and SZ-15 is 67 and 88 respectively.
Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-15 Sensor Comparison
Generally, its tough to envision the gap between sensor sizes only by reading technical specs. The picture underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 III and SZ-15.
As you can tell, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 III using its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh easier and the Olympus E-M1 III will offer more detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The newer E-M1 III will have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.
Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-15 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-15 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III | Olympus SZ-15 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III | Olympus SZ-15 |
| Class | Pro Mirrorless | Small Sensor Superzoom |
| Introduced | 2020-02-11 | 2013-06-21 |
| Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic IX | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| 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 | 20MP | 16MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Highest native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
| Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Min enhanced ISO | 64 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect autofocus | ||
| Contract detect autofocus | ||
| Phase detect autofocus | ||
| Total focus points | 121 | - |
| Cross type focus points | 121 | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | - | 23-483mm (21.0x) |
| Largest aperture | - | f/2.8-5.9 |
| Macro focusing range | - | 5cm |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
| Resolution of display | 1,037 thousand dot | 460 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Display technology | - | LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dot | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | - |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 8 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/2000 seconds |
| Max quiet shutter speed | 1/32000 seconds | - |
| Continuous shutter speed | 60.0 frames/s | 10.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 3.50 m |
| Flash settings | 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, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | 1/250 seconds | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1920 x 1080 (30fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 480fps (176 x 128), 240fps (384 x 288) |
| Highest video resolution | 4096x2160 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | AVI MPEG4, Motion JPEG |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 580 gr (1.28 lbs) | 250 gr (0.55 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 108 x 70 x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 420 shots | - |
| Style of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | BLH-1 | SLB-10A |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Double) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage media | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | Dual | One |
| Cost at release | $1,800 | $200 |