Olympus SH-3 vs Ricoh GR III

Below, we will be looking at the Olympus SH-3 and Ricoh GR III, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Ricoh. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and GR III (24MP) and the SH-3 (1/2.3") and GR III (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

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The SH-3 was launched 3 years before the GR III and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Ricoh GR III being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the SH-3 matches up vs the GR III in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Ricoh GR III. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Ricoh GR III Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-3 features physical measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Ricoh GR III has measurements of 109mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 257 grams (0.57 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-3 and Ricoh GR III in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the SH-3 against the GR III.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-3 and GR III is 88 and 90 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to see the difference in sensor sizing simply by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and GR III.

As you can see, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SH-3 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh harder and the Ricoh GR III will produce extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older SH-3 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.