Olympus SZ-30MR vs Sony A99

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus SZ-30MR versus Sony A99, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and A99 (24MP) and the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-30MR was revealed 21 months earlier than the A99 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple summation of how the SZ-30MR scores against the A99 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-30MR & Sony SLT-A99. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera often, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-30MR features outside dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony A99 has dimensions of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") along with a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-30MR versus Sony A99 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the SZ-30MR vs the A99.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-30MR and A99 is 89 and 57 respectively.

Usually, its hard to see the gap in sensor measurements just by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-30MR and A99.

As you can see, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SZ-30MR with its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A99 will produce more detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older SZ-30MR will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.