Olympus SZ-30MR vs Pentax MX-1

Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus SZ-30MR versus Pentax MX-1, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and MX-1 (12MP) and the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and MX-1 (1/1.7") possess totally different sensor sizes.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The SZ-30MR was released 3 years before the MX-1 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summary of how the SZ-30MR scores versus the MX-1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-30MR and Pentax MX-1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery and Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-30MR enjoys outside dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Pentax MX-1 has measurements of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-30MR versus Pentax MX-1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the SZ-30MR against the MX-1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-30MR and MX-1 is 89 and 84 respectively.

Quite often, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes simply by seeing specs. The picture below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-30MR and MX-1.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SZ-30MR because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Olympus SZ-30MR will show extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged SZ-30MR will be behind in sensor technology.