Olympus SZ-15 vs Sony RX10 III

Here is a in depth assessment of the Olympus SZ-15 and Sony RX10 III, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SZ-15 (16MP) and the RX10 III (20MP) is pretty similar but the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and RX10 III (1") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-15 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the RX10 III and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a concise summation of how the SZ-15 scores versus the RX10 III in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-15 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Sony RX10 III Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera often, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 has got physical measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Sony RX10 III has dimensions of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") and a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-15 and Sony RX10 III in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ-15 vs the RX10 III.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-15 and RX10 III is 88 and 53 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reviewing specs. The visual below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-15 and RX10 III.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SZ-15 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony RX10 III will offer you more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots way more aggressively. The older SZ-15 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.