Olympus VH-515 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Here is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus VH-515 and Sigma SD1 Merrill, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sigma. The image resolution of the VH-515 (12MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is very close but the VH-515 (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) feature totally different sensor size.

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The VH-515 was announced 5 months later than the SD1 Merrill and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the VH-515 grades against the SD1 Merrill in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VH-515 & Sigma SD1 Merrill. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus VH-515 offers outside measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") having a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Sigma SD1 Merrill has specifications of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") along with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VH-515 and Sigma SD1 Merrill in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the VH-515 vs the SD1 Merrill.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the VH-515 and SD1 Merrill is 95 and 57 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing merely by looking through specs. The graphic below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the VH-515 and SD1 Merrill.

All in all, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The VH-515 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will provide you with extra detail with its extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos a little more aggressively.