Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony A65

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony A65, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and A65 (24MP) and the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and A65 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-30MR was released 8 months prior to the A65 so they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Sony A65 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the SZ-30MR scores vs the A65 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-30MR & Sony SLT-A65. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery & Sony A65 Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-30MR provides exterior dimensions 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 A65 has proportions of 132mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 622 grams (1.37 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-30MR and Sony A65 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the SZ-30MR versus the A65.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-30MR and A65 is 89 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes purely by looking through specifications. The image underneath will help give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-30MR and A65.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-30MR featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF harder and the Sony A65 will result in more detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs much more aggressively. The more aged SZ-30MR will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.