Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Sony NEX-3

Below is a complete assessment of the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Sony NEX-3, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and NEX-3 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-31MR iHS was manufactured 21 months later than the NEX-3 which makes them a generation apart from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick view of how the SZ-31MR iHS matches up against the NEX-3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has got external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Sony NEX-3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS against the NEX-3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-31MR iHS and NEX-3 is 89 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements just by seeing specs. The visual below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-31MR iHS and NEX-3.

All in all, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SZ-31MR iHS because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS will produce more detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more recent SZ-31MR iHS should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.