Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony RX10 III

The following is a extended assessment of the Sigma DP3 Merrill and Sony RX10 III, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by companies Sigma and Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the DP3 Merrill (15MP) and RX10 III (20MP) and the DP3 Merrill (APS-C) and RX10 III (1") posses totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The DP3 Merrill was manufactured 4 years before the RX10 III which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the DP3 Merrill scores against the RX10 III in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sigma DP3 Merrill and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III. The entire galleries are provided at Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery and Sony RX10 III Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Sigma DP3 Merrill comes with exterior dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs) and the Sony RX10 III has measurements of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") having a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

Contrast the Sigma DP3 Merrill and Sony RX10 III in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the DP3 Merrill and the RX10 III.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the DP3 Merrill and RX10 III is 83 and 53 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor dimensions simply by checking out technical specs. The picture below might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the DP3 Merrill and RX10 III.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The DP3 Merrill featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony RX10 III will show more detail due to its extra 5MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos more aggressively. The more aged DP3 Merrill will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.