Olympus SH-3 vs Ricoh GR II

The following is a in-depth review of the Olympus SH-3 and Ricoh GR II, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Ricoh. The sensor resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the GR II (16MP) is pretty close but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and GR II (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SH-3 was brought out 8 months after the GR II and they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Ricoh GR II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a short highlight of how the SH-3 grades against the GR II when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Ricoh GR II. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Ricoh GR II Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to travel with your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SH-3 features outer measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Ricoh GR II has proportions of 117mm x 63mm x 35mm (4.6" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SH-3 and Ricoh GR II in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the SH-3 compared to the GR II.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-3 and GR II is 88 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to envision the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by viewing technical specs. The picture here will offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and GR II.

As you can tell, both of these cameras come with the identical megapixel count albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The SH-3 has the smaller sensor which is going to make obtaining shallow DOF tougher. The younger SH-3 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.