Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Sony a3500

Following is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sony a3500, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and the a3500 (20MP) is pretty similar but the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and a3500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor size.

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The SZ-31MR iHS was released 3 years prior to the a3500 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a simple view of how the SZ-31MR iHS grades versus the a3500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sony Alpha a3500. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery and Sony a3500 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS enjoys exterior dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony a3500 has specifications of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sony a3500 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS against the a3500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-31MR iHS and a3500 is 89 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizes simply by going over specs. The image below will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-31MR iHS and a3500.

All in all, both of these cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SZ-31MR iHS featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony a3500 will offer you extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged SZ-31MR iHS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.