Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Sony A99

Below is a extended assessment of the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sony A99, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the SZ-31MR iHS (16MP) and A99 (24MP) and the SZ-31MR iHS (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-31MR iHS was revealed 10 months before the A99 which means that they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the SZ-31MR iHS scores versus the A99 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sony SLT-A99. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Gallery and Sony A99 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-31MR iHS comes with physical 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) while the Sony A99 has measurements of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") and a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Sony A99 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the SZ-31MR iHS vs the A99.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-31MR iHS and A99 is 89 and 57 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements only by researching a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-31MR iHS and A99.

Clearly, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SZ-31MR iHS with its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A99 will provide you with more detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The older SZ-31MR iHS will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.