Olympus XZ-10 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

In this article, we will be looking at the Olympus XZ-10 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the XZ-10 (12MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is pretty close but the XZ-10 (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) enjoy different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-10 was introduced very close to the DP3 Merrill and they are of a similar age. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the XZ-10 scores versus the DP3 Merrill with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus XZ-10 & Sigma DP3 Merrill. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-10 Gallery & Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-10 provides outer measurements of 102mm x 61mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Sigma DP3 Merrill has specifications of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-10 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the XZ-10 and the DP3 Merrill.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-10 and DP3 Merrill is 91 and 83 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to picture the difference in sensor dimensions simply by researching specs. The image underneath may provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-10 and DP3 Merrill.

All in all, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-10 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will render extra detail using its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs far more aggressively.