Samsung HZ50W vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Below is a in depth review of the Samsung HZ50W and Sigma DP3 Merrill, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Samsung and Sigma. The image resolution of the HZ50W (14MP) and the DP3 Merrill (15MP) is fairly close but the HZ50W (1/2.3") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The HZ50W was manufactured 3 years before the DP3 Merrill and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Samsung HZ50W being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the HZ50W scores against the DP3 Merrill in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Samsung HZ50W and Sigma DP3 Merrill. The entire galleries are provided at Samsung HZ50W Gallery and Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Samsung HZ50W enjoys outer dimensions of 116mm x 83mm x 91mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.6") with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sigma DP3 Merrill has dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Examine the Samsung HZ50W and Sigma DP3 Merrill in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the HZ50W versus the DP3 Merrill.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the HZ50W and DP3 Merrill is 70 and 83 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to see the contrast in sensor measurements merely by viewing specs. The photograph below should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the HZ50W and DP3 Merrill.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The HZ50W because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will render greater detail due to its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images much more aggressively. The older HZ50W will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.