Olympus SZ-30MR vs Olympus 1s

Below is a detailed comparison of the Olympus SZ-30MR vs Olympus 1s, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras and both of them are designed by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and 1s (12MP) and the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and 1s (1/1.7") posses different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-30MR was brought out 5 years prior to the 1s and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting into a thorough comparison, here is a short introduction of how the SZ-30MR matches up against the 1s when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-30MR and Olympus Stylus 1s. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery and Olympus 1s Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-30MR offers physical measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Olympus 1s has measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") along with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-30MR vs Olympus 1s in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ-30MR against the 1s.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-30MR and 1s is 89 and 79 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements simply by looking at a spec sheet. The visual underneath will offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-30MR and 1s.

Clearly, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SZ-30MR because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Olympus SZ-30MR will give you extra detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The older SZ-30MR is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.