Olympus 8010 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Here, we are looking at the Olympus 8010 and Sigma DP3 Merrill, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the 8010 (13MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is fairly close but the 8010 (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The 8010 was announced 3 years before the DP3 Merrill which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 8010 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the 8010 scores vs the DP3 Merrill with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 and Sigma DP3 Merrill. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus 8010 Gallery and Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus 8010 offers outside measurements of 98mm x 64mm x 24mm (3.9" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs) and the Sigma DP3 Merrill has measurements of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 8010 and Sigma DP3 Merrill in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the 8010 vs the DP3 Merrill.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 8010 and DP3 Merrill is 92 and 83 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions purely by viewing a spec sheet. The picture below may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the 8010 and DP3 Merrill.

As you can see, both of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The 8010 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will render extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged 8010 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.