Olympus 8000 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus 8000 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sigma. The image resolution of the 8000 (12MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is very comparable but the 8000 (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) come with different sensor sizes.

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The 8000 was revealed 3 years earlier than the SD1 Merrill and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a detailed comparison, below is a short introduction of how the 8000 matches up versus the SD1 Merrill in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus 8000 Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera often, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus 8000 has got outside dimensions of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") and a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) while the Sigma SD1 Merrill has proportions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 8000 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the 8000 vs the SD1 Merrill.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 8000 and SD1 Merrill is 94 and 57 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements merely by going through specs. The graphic below will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the 8000 and SD1 Merrill.

All in all, the 2 cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 8000 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh tougher and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will show greater detail because of its extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older 8000 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.