Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Here is a extensive assessment of the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sigma SD1 Merrill, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is relatively comparable but the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) feature different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-31MR iHS was brought out 2 months prior to the SD1 Merrill which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short view of how the SZ-31MR iHS scores versus the SD1 Merrill with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera regularly, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS features external measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sigma SD1 Merrill has dimensions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sigma SD1 Merrill in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS versus the SD1 Merrill.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-31MR iHS and SD1 Merrill is 89 and 57 respectively.

Usually, its hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizing merely by seeing technical specs. The visual here will provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-31MR iHS and SD1 Merrill.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ-31MR iHS due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will provide greater detail having its extra 1MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively.