Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS

On this page, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both offered by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") provide different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 III was released 7 years later than the SZ-16 iHS and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera 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-16 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-M1 III grades vs the SZ-16 iHS with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III & Olympus SZ-16 iHS. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery & Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 III has outer dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS has dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-16 iHS in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the E-M1 III and the SZ-16 iHS.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 III and SZ-16 iHS is 67 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing purely by going through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 III and SZ-16 iHS.

As you can see, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 III because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus E-M1 III will produce more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The newer E-M1 III should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.