Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

The following is a thorough analysis of the Olympus PEN-F and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both built by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The PEN-F was revealed 4 years after the SZ-31MR iHS which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick view of how the PEN-F scores vs the SZ-31MR iHS with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN-F and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F enjoys external measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus PEN-F and Olympus SZ-31MR iHS in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the PEN-F vs the SZ-31MR iHS.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and SZ-31MR iHS is 84 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions simply by reading through specs. The image here will offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the PEN-F and SZ-31MR iHS.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The PEN-F with its bigger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will give extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures way more aggressively. The newer PEN-F is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.