Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-3 II

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-3 II, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and K-3 II (APS-C) offer different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-31MR iHS was unveiled 4 years earlier than the K-3 II and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the SZ-31MR iHS scores against the K-3 II with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Pentax K-3 II. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery and Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS offers outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has dimensions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-3 II in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS and the K-3 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-31MR iHS and K-3 II is 89 and 59 respectively.

Often, it's hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizing only by researching a spec sheet. The visual below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-31MR iHS and K-3 II.

Clearly, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ-31MR iHS with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Pentax K-3 II will render more detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older SZ-31MR iHS will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.