Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

The following is a complete overview of the Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sigma SD1 Merrill, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is pretty well matched but the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-30MR was launched 13 months prior to the SD1 Merrill which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the SZ-30MR matches up vs the SD1 Merrill when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-30MR and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-30MR has got exterior measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sigma SD1 Merrill has dimensions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sigma SD1 Merrill in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the SZ-30MR against the SD1 Merrill.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-30MR and SD1 Merrill is 89 and 57 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions only by checking specs. The image underneath will offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-30MR and SD1 Merrill.

All in all, the 2 cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-30MR featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus SZ-30MR will give more detail utilizing its extra 1MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged SZ-30MR is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.