Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Samsung GX-20

The following is a extensive assessment of the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS versus Samsung GX-20, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Samsung. The sensor resolution of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the GX-20 (15MP) is fairly well matched but the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and GX-20 (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-31MR iHS was unveiled 4 years after the GX-20 which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Samsung GX-20 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a concise summation of how the SZ-31MR iHS matches up against the GX-20 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Samsung GX-20. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery and Samsung GX-20 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS enjoys outside 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) and the Samsung GX-20 has dimensions of 142mm x 101mm x 72mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS versus Samsung GX-20 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS against the GX-20.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-31MR iHS and GX-20 is 89 and 58 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions purely by checking a spec sheet. The image below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-31MR iHS and GX-20.

Clearly, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-31MR iHS using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will give you extra detail having an extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The younger SZ-31MR iHS should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.