Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony A100

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus SZ-30MR versus Sony A100, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the resolutions of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and A100 (10MP) and the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and A100 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-30MR was launched 4 years later than the A100 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the SZ-30MR matches up against the A100 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery and Sony A100 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-30MR features outer 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 Sony A100 has sizing of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SZ-30MR versus Sony A100 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the SZ-30MR compared to the A100.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-30MR and A100 is 89 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to envision the contrast in sensor sizing merely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-30MR and A100.

As you can see, both of those cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ-30MR featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus SZ-30MR will produce more detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The more modern SZ-30MR will have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.