Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic LX100 II

Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS versus Panasonic LX100 II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the LX100 II (17MP) is relatively comparable but the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and LX100 II (Four Thirds) use different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-31MR iHS was released 7 years earlier than the LX100 II and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Panasonic LX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the SZ-31MR iHS matches up versus the LX100 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS & Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery & Panasonic LX100 II Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has exterior measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Panasonic LX100 II has dimensions of 115mm x 66mm x 64mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 2.5") with a weight of 392 grams (0.86 lbs).

Check the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS versus Panasonic LX100 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS against the LX100 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-31MR iHS and LX100 II is 89 and 81 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizing only by seeing specs. The visual underneath will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-31MR iHS and LX100 II.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ-31MR iHS due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Panasonic LX100 II will show extra detail as a result of its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The older SZ-31MR iHS will be behind with regard to sensor technology.