Panasonic S3 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Let's look a little more closely at the Panasonic S3 and Sigma SD1 Merrill, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sigma. The resolution of the S3 (14MP) and the SD1 Merrill (15MP) is fairly similar but the S3 (1/2.3") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The S3 was brought out 15 months before the SD1 Merrill making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the S3 matches up against the SD1 Merrill with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The entire galleries are viewable at Panasonic S3 Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic S3 has got outside dimensions of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Sigma SD1 Merrill has dimensions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Take a look at the Panasonic S3 and Sigma SD1 Merrill in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the S3 and the SD1 Merrill.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S3 and SD1 Merrill is 96 and 57 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing technical specs. The picture here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the S3 and SD1 Merrill.

As you can tell, each of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The S3 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will offer you more detail having its extra 1MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged S3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.