Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony QX1

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony QX1, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Lens-style by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and the QX1 (20MP) is pretty comparable but the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and QX1 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-30MR was launched 4 years before the QX1 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Sony QX1 being a Lens-style camera.

Before getting through a comprehensive comparison, below is a short summation of how the SZ-30MR scores vs the QX1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony Alpha QX1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery and Sony QX1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-30MR provides physical measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony QX1 has dimensions of 74mm x 70mm x 53mm (2.9" x 2.8" x 2.1") with a weight of 216 grams (0.48 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony QX1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the SZ-30MR vs the QX1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-30MR and QX1 is 89 and 90 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions only by seeing specifications. The picture here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-30MR and QX1.

Plainly, both of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-30MR due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Sony QX1 will produce greater detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged SZ-30MR will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.