Olympus E-M5 vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

Below is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-M5 versus Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are produced by Olympus. The resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) is fairly comparable but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-M5 was released 3 months later than the SZ-31MR iHS which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-M5 matches up against the SZ-31MR iHS in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 enjoys outside dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M5 versus Olympus SZ-31MR iHS in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M5 and the SZ-31MR iHS.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and SZ-31MR iHS is 81 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements purely by going through technical specs. The graphic below will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and SZ-31MR iHS.

As you can tell, both cameras posses the exact same megapixel count but not the same sensor measurements. The E-M5 has got the larger sensor which will make obtaining shallower depth of field easier.