Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-7
89 Imaging
39 Features
47 Overall
42


60 Imaging
54 Features
69 Overall
60
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-7 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
- 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
- Released February 2012
(Full Review)
- 15MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 2000 (Boost to 6400)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1280 x 720 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 750g - 131 x 97 x 73mm
- Launched October 2009
- Renewed by Pentax K-5

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-7 Overview
Here is a extensive assessment of the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Pentax K-7, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the K-7 (15MP) is relatively similar but the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and K-7 (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

The SZ-31MR iHS was unveiled 2 years later than the K-7 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-7 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the SZ-31MR iHS matches up against the K-7 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-7 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS & Pentax K-7. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery & Pentax K-7 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-31MR iHS over the Pentax K-7
SZ-31MR iHS | K-7 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | February 2012 | ![]() | October 2009 | Fresher by 29 months |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax K-7 over the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
K-7 | SZ-31MR iHS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | More exact focus | ||
Screen resolution | 921k | ![]() | 920k | Clearer screen (+1k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Pentax K-7
SZ-31MR iHS | K-7 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent screen measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither includes selfie screen |
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-7 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is intending to carry your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS features outer dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-7 has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).
Compare the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Pentax K-7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS against the K-7.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-31MR iHS and K-7 is 89 and 60 respectively.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-7 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it's difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing just by going over technical specs. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-31MR iHS and K-7.
As you can tell, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SZ-31MR iHS using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh harder and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will offer extra detail having an extra 1MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more recent SZ-31MR iHS should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-7 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Pentax K-7 Specifications
Olympus SZ-31MR iHS | Pentax K-7 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Pentax |
Model type | Olympus SZ-31MR iHS | Pentax K-7 |
Type | Small Sensor Superzoom | Advanced DSLR |
Released | 2012-02-08 | 2009-10-02 |
Physical type | Compact | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | Dual TruePic V | Prime II |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.4 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 365.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 15 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4672 x 3104 |
Highest native ISO | 6400 | 2000 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 80 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | - | 11 |
Cross type focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens support | fixed lens | Pentax KAF2 |
Lens zoom range | 25-600mm (24.0x) | - |
Maximum aperture | f/3.0-6.9 | - |
Macro focusing range | 1cm | - |
Number of lenses | - | 151 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display size | 3" | 3" |
Resolution of display | 920k dots | 921k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Display technology | Hypercrystal III TFT Color LCD | TFT color LCD with AR coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.61x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/1700 secs | 1/8000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 7.0 frames/s | 5.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 9.30 m | 13.00 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | - | 1/180 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 1536 x 1024 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 226 gr (0.50 lb) | 750 gr (1.65 lb) |
Dimensions | 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") | 131 x 97 x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 61 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 10.6 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 536 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 200 pictures | 980 pictures |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | LI-50B | D-LI90 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/MMC |
Card slots | One | One |
Cost at launch | $0 | $599 |