Samsung HZ15W vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Below is a thorough assessment of the Samsung HZ15W versus Sigma DP3 Merrill, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Samsung and Sigma. The sensor resolution of the HZ15W (12MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is fairly well matched but the HZ15W (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The HZ15W was brought out 4 years before the DP3 Merrill and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Samsung HZ15W being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the HZ15W matches up versus the DP3 Merrill in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Samsung HZ15W & Sigma DP3 Merrill. The entire galleries are provided at Samsung HZ15W Gallery & Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Samsung HZ15W has exterior measurements of 105mm x 61mm x 37mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") having a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Sigma DP3 Merrill has sizing of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") along with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

See the Samsung HZ15W versus Sigma DP3 Merrill in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the HZ15W vs the DP3 Merrill.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the HZ15W and DP3 Merrill is 90 and 83 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements purely by checking a spec sheet. The photograph here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the HZ15W and DP3 Merrill.

As you can see, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The HZ15W because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will resolve extra detail having its extra 3 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos way more aggressively. The older HZ15W is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.