Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Panasonic Lumix TS6: The Small-Sensor Superzoom Showdown for Real-World Photographers

In the crowded compact camera market, subtle spec differences often mean the world - or at least the difference between joy and regret behind the lens. Today, I’m rolling up my sleeves to pit two small sensor compacts against each other: Olympus’ SZ-31MR iHS and Panasonic’s rugged Lumix DMC-TS6 (also known as the FT6 in some regions). Both announced a few years ago and appealing to different niches, these cameras conjure a fascinating discussion about what “compact” means when it comes to sensor tech, zoom range, and real-use versatility.

Having logged dozens of session shooting with both, from nature trails to crowded festivals and some unconventional underwater antics, I’m here to unpack their strengths, quirks, and common pitfalls. If you’re hunting for a pocket-friendly “all-in-one” or a hardy travel companion, this comparison aims to cut through the marketing haze and bounce some hard experience and critical insights your way.

First Impressions: Size, Feel, and Handling

When you first grab any camera, ergonomics dictate much of your shooting mood. Olympus and Panasonic both veer towards compactness. The Olympus SZ-31MR offers a surprisingly deep grip despite a modest footprint, while the Panasonic TS6 is more slab-like, with a “rugged” vibe that suggests it can take a beating.

Measuring roughly 106 x 69 x 40mm and weighing 226g, the Olympus feels denser, bulkier in hand, but with dedicated contouring that actually makes one-handed shooting comfortable - even for my larger fingers. Conversely, the Panasonic’s slightly longer yet slimmer profile (110 x 67 x 29mm, 214g) feels less hefty but with a flatter grip surface, which might impact steady handling during extended shoots.

Design-wise, neither offers a viewfinder - something I sorely missed during bright daylight or landscapes. Both rely solely on LCD screens, but I’ll unpack those shortly.

For compact cameras, balance matters - and the SZ-31MR's added thickness feels more intentional, likely to accommodate its monster 24x zoom. The TS6’s streamlined build favors portability and durability, thanks to its extensive weather sealing.

Control Layout and Interface: Quick Access or Footwork?

Good control design helps photographers stay engaged with their craft, and here the two differ subtly. The Olympus employs a dual TruePic V processor setup, which means slightly faster response times and a punchier UI flow, something I appreciated when toggling zoom or focus modes.

The Olympus has a neat cluster of dedicated buttons, a zoom rocker, and a curved grip-side shutter release. Flipping through menus was intuitive, partially thanks to touchscreen support (Hypercrystal III TFT, mind you). The touchscreen responds well but can feel fiddly under bright sun or wet conditions.

Panasonic’s TS6, lacking touchscreen, relies on more traditional button navigation. It boasts manual exposure mode - rare for compacts in this class - paired with accessible exposure compensation controls. This manual control edge is something I missed on the Olympus, which locks out aperture or shutter priority modes altogether.

If you prize quick settings adjustment on the go without fumbling through nested menus, the TS6's physical dials and buttons might steal the show. Olympus feels more consumer-friendly but less “pro” in manual control terms.

Behind the Glass: Sensor Size and Image Quality Considerations

Both cameras sport the relatively small 1/2.3" CMOS sensor size, a standard crop for affordable compacts. Olympus cites a BSI-CMOS sensor, Panasonic a CMOS sensor of the same specs - 16MP resolution, and nearly identical sensor areas (Olympus at 28.07 mm² vs. Panasonic 27.72 mm²). These differences seem academic, but subtle sensor tech tweaks affect noise performance and dynamic range.

In practice, both produce decent JPEGs with respectable detail under good lighting. However, the Olympus’ sensor-shift image stabilization and Dual TruePic V processor combination produce slightly cleaner images at ISO 800 and above. The TS6's optical stabilization is good, but in my tests, images get noticeably softer if you push beyond ISO 400 in dim conditions.

Dynamic range differences are minimal, but I favor the Olympus for landscapes or edge-to-edge detail capture. The TS6’s marginally higher minimum ISO (100 vs. Olympus’s 80) also plays minor roles in exposure latitude.

Looking Over Your Shoulder: The LCD Screens

Since neither camera includes a viewfinder, the rear LCD experience becomes critical.

Olympus impresses with a 3-inch, 920k-dot, Hypercrystal III TFT touchscreen. The colors are vibrant, and the touchscreen interface helps with focus point selection and menu navigation, albeit with some occasional slowdowns in live view mode. Unfortunately, it’s fixed, so awkward angles under sunlight can be challenging.

Panasonic’s TS6 also sports a 3-inch screen but with just 460k dots and no touchscreen. It’s a noticeably dimmer display, and the loss of touchscreen interaction means you rely on buttons for focusing and playback zoom. In bright outdoor use, the TS6’s screen was harder to read, making framing tricky at times.

Zoom Power and Lens Versatility

Now, the headline feature of the SZ-31MR is its gargantuan 25-600mm equivalent zoom (that’s 24x optical). Talk about reach for wildlife or distant landscapes from a compact body.

The Panasonic TS6 offers a more modest 28-128mm (4.6x) zoom range. This might look underwhelming next to Olympus’ superzoom bragging rights, but remember, the TS6 caters to a different market - rugged, all-weather shooters who prefer smaller zooms with wider apertures for everyday scenes and underwater use.

During field tests, the Olympus’ long zoom made it practical to shoot distant birds or vastly zoomed-in landscape details without lugging optics around. Granted, the long end isn’t very bright (aperture drops to F6.9 at 600mm), and image quality at max zoom softens a bit, but stabilization saved many shots.

The Panasonic’s shorter zoom feels more stable and sharp across its range, especially in macro or close-up (minimum focus distance 5cm vs Olympus’ impressive 1cm macro). For travel photographers preferring ultra-wide to moderate telephoto with a splash of ruggedness, the TS6’s optics feel better balanced overall.

Autofocus and Performance Speed: Catching the Moment

Both cameras use contrast detection AF, but the Panasonic TS6 edges out on autofocus versatility and speed.

The TS6 supports 23 focus points with face detection and single, continuous, and tracking autofocus modes - a richness that Olympus lacks in its more limited AF point array and modes. The Olympus SZ-31MR includes eye detection and some face detection but no continuous AF and fewer focus points, which compromises tracking fast-moving subjects like sports or wildlife.

Burst shooting mode highlights this difference: TS6 shoots up to 10 fps, a nice plus for capturing fleeting action or expressions. Olympus caps at 7 fps but only supports single AF, so your odds of sharp sequences decrease in motion-heavy scenarios.

Toughness and Weather Sealing: Who’s Ready for the Wild?

Let’s face it: not all compact cameras are built alike in durability. Panasonic’s TS6 is a rugged champ, boasting waterproofing up to 15 meters, dustproofing, shockproofing (can withstand drops from 2 meters), crushproof, and freezeproof down to -10°C.

Olympus’ SZ-31MR, on the other hand, offers no sealing, claiming no resistance to water, dust, or impact. It’s a more delicate traveler’s camera, destined for careful everyday use.

For me, the ruggedness of the TS6 makes it a no-brainer for outdoor enthusiasts, dive hobbyists, hikers, or anyone who hates stressing over accidental knocks. The Olympus’ superzoom gains are easily overshadowed by fragility in harsh environments.

Battery Life and Storage: Longevity on the Go

The TS6 doubles down on endurance with roughly 370 shots per charge versus Olympus’ 200 shots with the LI-50B pack - a practical advantage in day trips or adventure shoots without a frequent charging option.

Both cameras rely on single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots, with Panasonic additionally featuring internal memory (albeit modest), potentially a lifesaver if you forget a card.

Video Capabilities: Which Camera Captures Motion Better?

With 1080p HD video capture, both cameras cover basic video needs. The Panasonic TS6 supports Full HD at 60fps or 30fps, adding smooth motion capture and a slight edge in video quality with MPEG-4 and AVCHD formats.

Olympus records 1080p but capped at 30fps, more limiting for fast action or cinematic effect. Its video codec is H.264 in MPEG-4 wrapper, which is fine but less versatile in professional editing workflows.

Neither camera offers external mic inputs or headphone jacks - signaling both are really casual video shooters at best.

Connectivity: Getting Images Off the Camera

Connectivity options include Eye-Fi support on Olympus and built-in Wi-Fi plus GPS on Panasonic, with the latter also supporting NFC for easier pairing.

If geotagging travels or easy wireless sharing is important, Panasonic scoring more robust connectivity wins here.

Real-World Use Cases: Who Should Buy Which?

To wrap this up with actionable recommendations, let’s consider your photography needs:

Portrait Photography

• Olympus SZ-31MR’s eye detection helps get worthy portrait shots - though shallow depth of field is limited by small sensor and narrow apertures.
• Panasonic’s manual exposure and face detection function allow slight creative control but lack eye AF.

Landscape Photography

• Olympus’ gigantic zoom stretches creative framing options, and slightly better dynamic range helps.
• Panasonic’s ruggedness makes it more practical outdoors regardless of weather, an important trade-off.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

• Olympus' zoom advantage combined with stabilization wins for distant wildlife.
• Panasonic’s faster burst, continuous AF, and ruggedness make it reliable for action and extreme conditions.

Street Photography

• Panasonic’s slim profile and weather sealing make it perfect for all-weather candid shooting.
• Olympus’s bigger zoom might be overkill and can attract unwanted attention.

Macro Photography

• Olympus wins with a tiny 1cm macro focus distance, letting you get impressively close.
• Panasonic’s 5cm is decent but less dramatic.

Night and Astro Photography

• Both constrained by small sensors and limited native ISO ranges.
• Olympus’s sensor-shift stabilization offers a slight advantage.

Video Recording

• Panasonic’s 60fps 1080p gives smoother footage.
• Both lack external audio ports and advanced video features.

Travel Photography

• Panasonic’s lightweight build, weather sealing, and longer battery life make it a practical travel companion.
• Olympus’s superzoom adds reach but requires handling care.

Professional Work and Workflow Integration

• Neither supports RAW files, limiting post-processing flexibility.
• Both output JPEGs sufficient for casual to semi-serious uses.

Final Verdict: The Tale of Two Compact Cameras

Closing Thoughts: Who’s the Right Camera for You?

If you desire ultra-zoom reach from a pocketable device, mostly shoot in controlled or urban environments, prioritize macro and landscape, and appreciate touchscreen simplicity, Olympus SZ-31MR is worth a look - but budget for delicate handling and shorter battery life.

If your photography leans towards travel, adventure, and rugged conditions - think snorkeling, beach days, hikes in the rain - the Panasonic TS6 emerges as a more versatile, reliable companion. Its slightly reduced zoom range is offset by durability, faster autofocus, manual exposure freedom, and longer power.

For enthusiasts craving RAW, faster continuous shooting, or premium optics, both fall short - but within their compact, affordable niche, they offer compelling packages.

Olympus SZ 31MR iHS front Olympus SZ 31MR iHS screen back Panasonic TS6 front Panasonic TS6 screen back

In summary, Olympus trades ruggedness for zoom reach and touchscreen conveniences, while Panasonic trades zoom length for durability, control finesse, and battery stamina. The smart buyer evaluates which traits mesh best with their shooting style, environment, and budget.

Happy clicking - and may your next camera bring you as much joy behind the lens as these compact contenders sparked in my hands!

Disclaimer: All opinions based on hands-on evaluations and real-world testing environments. Specifications from manufacturer data sheets as of latest updates.