Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Let's examine more in depth at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sigma DP3 Merrill, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Sigma. The image resolution of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is relatively close but the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-16 iHS was announced at a similar time to the DP3 Merrill and they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief summary of how the SZ-16 iHS scores versus the DP3 Merrill in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Sigma DP3 Merrill. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

If you're going to carry your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS features external measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sigma DP3 Merrill has specifications of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Sigma DP3 Merrill in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS against the DP3 Merrill.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-16 iHS and DP3 Merrill is 89 and 83 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizing just by researching specs. The visual here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-16 iHS and DP3 Merrill.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ-16 iHS having a smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will result in greater detail with its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively.