Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic GH5S

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic GH5S, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and GH5S (10MP) and the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and GH5S (Four Thirds) have different sensor size.

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The SZ-31MR iHS was introduced 7 years prior to the GH5S and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH5S being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the SZ-31MR iHS matches up versus the GH5S with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS & Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery & Panasonic GH5S Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS 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) whilst the Panasonic GH5S has dimensions of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic GH5S in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS compared to the GH5S.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-31MR iHS and GH5S is 89 and 62 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-31MR iHS and GH5S.

As you can see, the two cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SZ-31MR iHS using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving bokeh harder and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will offer greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older SZ-31MR iHS is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.