Sigma sd Quattro H vs Olympus E-3

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3
      65
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      61
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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 Sigma sd Quattro H and the Olympus E-3, 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.

      Sigma sd Quattro H was introduced in February 2016 and Olympus E-3 was introduced in February 2008. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Sigma sd Quattro H Highlights

      • 44.8 MP APS-H CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor
      • No Optical Low-pass Filter
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 1,620k dot Fixed Screen
      • 2,360k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 3.8 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Olympus E-3 Highlights

      • 10.0 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 2.5" 230k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Sigma sd Quattro H
      4. Advantage of Olympus E-3
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      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 Sigma sd Quattro H and Olympus E-3.

      PROS

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      •   High Resolution Sensor - 44.8 Megapixel
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.8 fps
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 56
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


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

      AVERAGE

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Weight - 635 g (1.40 lb / 22.4 oz)
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Weight - 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)

      Advantage of Sigma sd Quattro H

      Sigma sd Quattro H
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sigma sd Quattro H over Olympus E-3.

      Sigma sd Quattro H vs Olympus E-3
      Larger Sensor APS-H vs Micro Four Thirds
      Higher Sensor Resolution 44.8 Megapixel vs 10.0 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 6,400 vs 3,200
      Max Image Resolution 6200 x 4152 vs 3648 x 2736
      Higher Bit Depth 14-Bit vs 12-bit
      Center Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Live View Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Larger Screen 3.0" vs 2.5"
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,620k dot vs 230k dot
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.84x vs 0.58x
      Multi-Segment Metering vs
      Center Weighted Metering vs
      Spot Metering vs
      Higher USB Speed USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
      HDMI Output Mini vs
      Lighter 635 g (1.40 lb / 22.4 oz) vs 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sigma sd Quattro H.

      Canon N100
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      1/1.7-inch

      12.1 MP

      Leica M11 Monochrom
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      Full Frame

      60.3 MP

      Canon A1400
      Image cannot be found

      1/2.3-inch

      16 MP

      Nikon D7500
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      20.9 MP

      Panasonic L1
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      7 MP

      Samsung NX500
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      28.2 MP

      Panasonic GF3
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Panasonic L10
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Panasonic ZS200
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      1-inch

      20.1 MP

      Panasonic GX1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16 MP

      Samsung NX100
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      APS-C

      15 MP

      Canon A480
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      1/2.3-inch

      10 MP

      Advantage of Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-3
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-3 over Sigma sd Quattro H.

      Sigma sd Quattro H vs Olympus E-3
      More Focus Points 9 vs 11
      Image Stabilization vs Sensor Shift
      Screen Type Fixed vs Fully Articulated
      Top LCD Screen vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 60 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/8000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 3.8 fps vs 5.0 fps
      Built-in Flash vs
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/180 sec vs 1/250 sec

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-3.

      Olympus E-620
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-510
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-330
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      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      5 MP

      Olympus E-5
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-520
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-420
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-450
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-410
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-400
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Sigma sd Quattro
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      APS-C

      29 MP

      Canon 5DS R
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      Full Frame

      50.6 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 Sigma sd Quattro H Olympus E-3
        Environmental Sealing
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Sigma sd Quattro H Olympus E-3
        No Video Capture
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points911
        No Built-in Microphone
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Sigma sd Quattro H has a 3.0" Fixed screen with 1,620k dot resolution and Olympus E-3 has a 2.5" Fully Articulated screen with 230k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes Olympus E-3 selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.


      Viewfinder

      Sigma sd Quattro H has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dot resolution and Olympus E-3 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. They both have 100% coverage.

      Sensor

      Sigma sd Quattro H features a 44.8 megapixel APS-H CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor with dimensions of 26.6 x 17.9 mm and a total area of 476.1 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400. Olympus E-3 features a 10.0 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Sigma sd Quattro H is equipped with Dual TRUE III processor and can take pictures up to 6200 x 4152 resolution. Olympus E-3 is equipped with TruePic III processor and can take pictures up to 3648 x 2736 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Sigma sd Quattro H has Sigma SA lens mount and Olympus E-3 has Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-H sensor in Sigma sd Quattro H its crop factor is equal to 1.3x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.3. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus E-3 its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      No Low-Pass Filter on Sigma sd Quattro H

      There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Sigma sd Quattro H. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus E-3

      Olympus E-3 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Sigma sd Quattro H comes with BP-61 battery pack.


      External Storage Slots

      Sigma sd Quattro H has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Olympus E-3 has a single Compact Flash (Type I/II), xD Picture Card card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sigma sd Quattro H, and up to 1/8000 sec on Olympus E-3. Sigma sd Quattro H can shoot continuously up to 3.8 fps. Olympus E-3 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Sigma sd Quattro H has 9 focusing points and Olympus E-3 has 11 focusing points. Sigma sd Quattro H has detection range from -1 to +18 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Sigma sd Quattro H ranges from 0 to +17 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Sigma sd Quattro H and ±5 EV range on Olympus E-3. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Sigma sd Quattro H and and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus E-3.


      Flash

      Olympus E-3 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 13.00 m and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. Sigma sd Quattro H has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Sigma sd Quattro H and 1/250 sec on Olympus E-3.

      Physical Parameters

      Sigma sd Quattro H body has dimensions of 147 x 95 x 91 mm (5.79 x 3.74 x 3.58") and Olympus E-3 body has dimensions of 142 x 116 x 75 mm (5.59 x 4.57 x 2.95"). Sigma sd Quattro H weighs 635 g (1.40 lb / 22.4 oz) and Olympus E-3 weighs 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz).

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      147 mm

      95 mm

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      142 mm

      116 mm

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      95 mm

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      116 mm

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      91 mm

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      75 mm

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      Size comparisons of Sigma sd Quattro H and Olympus E-3

      Sigma sd Quattro H and Olympus E-3 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

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      GOOD
      80
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      76
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      GOOD
      70
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.8 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.8 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      66
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      GOOD
      79
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      75
      •   Small Sensor
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      GOOD
      81
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 635 g (1.40 lb / 22.4 oz)
      GOOD
      82
      •   Small Sensor
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      GOOD
      84
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 635 g (1.40 lb / 22.4 oz)
      GOOD
      82
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Sigma sd Quattro H and Olympus E-3 and give them scores of 65 and 61 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.


      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      OVERALL
      65
      OVERALL
      61

      Sensor

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   High Resolution Sensor - 44.8 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 56

      Photo

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      AVERAGE
      66
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.8 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      GOOD
      74
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization
      BAD
      0
      •   Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   -1 EV Min AF Detection
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      GOOD
      72
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,620k dot
      •   Viewfinder Resolution - 2,360k dot
      GOOD
      79
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      AVERAGE
      60
      •   High USB Speed
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Sigma sd Quattro H

      Olympus E-3

      GOOD
      79
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 635 g (1.40 lb / 22.4 oz)
      GOOD
      77
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz)


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

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