Olympus SH-3 vs Sony RX1R

In this write-up, we are evaluating the Olympus SH-3 versus Sony RX1R, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and RX1R (24MP) and the SH-3 (1/2.3") and RX1R (Full frame) feature different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SH-3 was announced 2 years later than the RX1R and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX1R being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the SH-3 matches up against the RX1R in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Sony RX1R Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-3 offers external dimensions 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 Sony RX1R has measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-3 versus Sony RX1R in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the SH-3 versus the RX1R.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SH-3 and RX1R is 88 and 79 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualize the difference between sensor measurements just by looking at a spec sheet. The visual here might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-3 and RX1R.

As you can see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SH-3 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony RX1R will give greater detail with its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images far more aggressively. The fresher SH-3 should have an edge in sensor technology.