Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony RX100 III

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony RX100 III, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and the RX100 III (20MP) is very similar but the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and RX100 III (1") come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-30MR was introduced 4 years earlier than the RX100 III and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the SZ-30MR grades vs the RX100 III with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-30MR & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery & Sony RX100 III Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-30MR has got outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony RX100 III has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") having a weight of 290 grams (0.64 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony RX100 III in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the SZ-30MR against the RX100 III.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-30MR and RX100 III is 89 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to see the gap between sensor measurements just by reading technical specs. The graphic underneath should give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-30MR and RX100 III.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-30MR with its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Sony RX100 III will offer extra detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images much more aggressively. The older SZ-30MR is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.