Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Olympus SZ-15

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and the Olympus SZ-15, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS was introduced in February 2012 and Olympus SZ-15 was introduced in June 2013. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus SZ-31MR iHS over Olympus SZ-15.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus SZ-15 over Olympus SZ-31MR iHS.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Olympus SZ-15 have 3.0" Fixed screens with 920k dot and 460k dot resolutions respectively. Olympus SZ-31MR iHS also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS features a 16 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 28.1 mm². Its native ISO range is 80 - 6,400. Olympus SZ-15 features a 16 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS is equipped with Dual TruePic V processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3264 x 2448, 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480 with 4:3, 16:9 aspect ratios. Olympus SZ-15 can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4608 x 3072, 4608 x 2592, 3648 x 2736, 2832 x 2832, 2592 x 1944, 1984 x 1488, 1920 x 1080, 1024 x 768 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Image Stabilization

The cameras have a built-in [y] image stabilization.

Built-in GPS on Olympus SZ-15

Olympus SZ-15 has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Olympus SZ-15

Olympus SZ-15 has a built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Olympus SZ-31MR iHS has a Type D HDMI and Olympus SZ-15 has an HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS comes with LI-50B battery pack with battery life of 200 shots and Olympus SZ-15 comes with SLB-10A battery pack.

External Storage Slots

Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/1700 sec on Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, and up to 1/2000 sec on Olympus SZ-15. Olympus SZ-31MR iHS can shoot continuously up to 7.0 fps. Olympus SZ-15 can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 9.30 m on Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and 3.50 m on Olympus SZ-15..

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS body has dimensions of 106 x 69 x 40 mm (4.17 x 2.72 x 1.57") and Olympus SZ-15 body has dimensions of 108 x 70 x 40 mm (4.25 x 2.76 x 1.57"). Olympus SZ-31MR iHS weighs 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz) and Olympus SZ-15 weighs 250 g (0.55 lb / 8.82 oz).

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

Olympus SZ-15

106 mm

69 mm

108 mm

70 mm

69 mm

70 mm

40 mm

40 mm