Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Olympus SZ-30MR

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR
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      56
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and the Olympus SZ-30MR, 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-30MR was introduced in March 2011. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Highlights

      • 16 MP 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
      • 80 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 920k dot Fixed Screen
      • 7.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Olympus SZ-30MR Highlights

      • 16 MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
      • 80 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 460k dot Fixed Screen
      • 1.7 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
      4. Advantage of Olympus SZ-30MR
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      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.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Olympus SZ-30MR.

      PROS

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)
      •   Internal Storage
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      •   Small Sensor
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/1700 sec
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 200 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/1700 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 1.7 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 220 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"

      Advantage of Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus SZ-31MR iHS over Olympus SZ-30MR.

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Olympus SZ-30MR
      Sensor Type BSI-CMOS vs CMOS
      Higher Native ISO 6,400 vs 3,200
      More Powerful Processor Dual TruePic V vs TruePic III+
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Touch Screen vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 920k dot vs 460k dot
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps vs 1.7 fps

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus SZ-31MR iHS.

      Olympus SZ-12
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      1/2.3-inch

      14 MP

      Olympus SZ-11
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      1/2.3-inch

      14 MP

      Olympus SZ-10
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      1/2.3-inch

      14 MP

      Olympus SZ-15
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      16 MP

      Olympus SZ-16 iHS
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      16 MP

      Canon R3
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      Full Frame

      24.1 MP

      Fujifilm X20
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      2/3-inch

      12 MP

      Nikon Z30
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      APS-C

      20.9 MP

      Canon 5DS
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon R100
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      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Canon R7
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      APS-C

      32.5 MP

      Sony a6400
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Advantage of Olympus SZ-30MR

      Olympus SZ-30MR
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus SZ-30MR over Olympus SZ-31MR iHS.

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS vs Olympus SZ-30MR
      Built-in Microphone Mono vs Stereo
      Longer Battery Life 200 shots vs 220 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus SZ-30MR.

      Olympus SZ-15
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      1/2.3-inch

      16 MP

      Olympus SZ-16 iHS
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      1/2.3-inch

      16 MP

      Olympus SZ-10
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      1/2.3-inch

      14 MP

      Olympus SZ-12
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      1/2.3-inch

      14 MP

      Olympus SZ-11
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      1/2.3-inch

      14 MP

      Panasonic FS42
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      1/2.5-inch

      10.1 MP

      Canon SX120 IS
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      1/2.5-inch

      10.0 MP

      Canon R100
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      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Kodak Easyshare M5370
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      1/2.3-inch

      16 MP

      Samsung SL30
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      1/2.33-inch

      10 MP

      Canon S100
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      1/1.7-inch

      12.1 MP

      Fujifilm AV200
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      1/2.3-inch

      14.0 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      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.

      STRENGTHS Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Olympus SZ-30MR
        Video Capture
        Low Native ISO8080
        High Native ISO6,4003,200
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Image Stabilization
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Type D Type D
        Light226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Olympus SZ-30MR
        Small Sensor1/2.3-inch1/2.3-inch
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Cross-type Focus Points00
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        No Viewfinder
        Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain)1/1700 sec1/1700 sec
        No External Flash Connectivity
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi Connection possible Eye-Fi Connection possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing
        Short Battery Life200 shots220 shots

      Screen

      Screen

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Olympus SZ-30MR 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.

      Sensor

      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-30MR features a 16 megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm2. Its native ISO range is 80 - 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.

      Photography Features

      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-30MR is equipped with TruePic III+ 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.


      Image Stabilization

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

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      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-30MR has a Type D HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Olympus SZ-30MR come with LI-50B battery pack with battery life of 200 shots on Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and with battery life of 220 shots on Olympus SZ-30MR.


      External Storage Slots

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

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/1700 sec on Olympus SZ-31MR iHS, and up to 1/1700 sec on Olympus SZ-30MR. Olympus SZ-31MR iHS can shoot continuously up to 7.0 fps. Olympus SZ-30MR can shoot continuously up to 1.7 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 9.30 m on Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and 4.00 m on Olympus SZ-30MR..

      Physical Parameters

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Olympus SZ-30MR bodies have the same dimensions of 106 x 69 x 40 mm (4.17 x 2.72 x 1.57") and they both weigh 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz).

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      106 mm

      69 mm

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      106 mm

      69 mm

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      69 mm

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      69 mm

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      40 mm

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      40 mm

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      Size comparisons of Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Olympus SZ-30MR

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Olympus SZ-30MR for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      AVERAGE
      57
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      POOR
      49
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      GOOD
      74
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 200 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 1.7 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 220 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      GOOD
      72
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 200 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 1.7 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 220 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      GOOD
      80
      •   Small Sensor
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      72
      •   Small Sensor
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Small Sensor
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)
      GOOD
      83
      •   Small Sensor
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 200 shots
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 220 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Olympus SZ-31MR iHS and Olympus SZ-30MR and give them scores of 63 and 56 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      OVERALL
      63
      OVERALL
      56

      Sensor

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      POOR
      52
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      AVERAGE
      61
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/1700 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      AVERAGE
      60
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/1700 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 1.7 fps
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Video

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      POOR
      46
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      POOR
      46
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080

      Focusing

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      GOOD
      79
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      POOR
      53
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Connectivity

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      AVERAGE
      55
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      60
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Olympus SZ-31MR iHS

      Olympus SZ-30MR

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 200 shots
      •   Internal Storage
      POOR
      44
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 220 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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