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Olympus SZ-30MR vs Nikon 1 V1 Comparison

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Olympus SZ-30MR

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus SZ-30MR
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Nikon 1 V1

10 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon 1 V1
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Olympus SZ-30MR vs Nikon 1 V1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Olympus SZ-30MR, which was introduced in March 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Nikon 1 V1, which was introduced in January 2012 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 10.0MP 1-inch sensor. There is only 11 months difference between SZ-30MR and 1 V1 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus SZ-30MR Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-03-02
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 25-600 mm F3.0-6.9 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 2 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 226g. 106 x 69 x 40 mm

Nikon 1 V1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-01-20
  • 10MP - 1-inch CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Nikon 1 Mount
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1440k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 1200fps High-Speed Video
  • 383g. 113 x 76 x 44 mm

Nikon 1 V1 was replaced by Nikon 1 V2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon 1 V2 vs Nikon 1 V1
Nikon 1 V2 vs Olympus SZ-30MR

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Olympus SZ-30MR over Nikon 1 V1
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 10 MP 60% more pixels
Weight
226 g vs 383 g 157 g lighter


Reasons to choose Nikon 1 V1 over Olympus SZ-30MR
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max ISO
6.400 vs 3.200 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/1700s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 2.0fps 8 fps faster
Battery Life
350 shots vs 220 shots 130 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
11.57µm2 vs 1.76µm2 557% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1
Common Weaknesses of Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
Olympus SZ-30MR vs Nikon 1 V1: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus SZ-30MR has external dimensions of 106 x 69 x 40 mm (4.17 x 2.72 x 1.57″) and weighs 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz) (including batteries). Nikon 1 V1 has external dimensions of 113 x 76 x 44 mm (4.45 x 2.99 x 1.71″) and weighs 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1. Olympus SZ-30MR is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 7mm narrower, 7mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Nikon 1 V1. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Olympus SZ-30MR has a built-in lens but Nikon 1 V1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on 1 V1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Olympus SZ-30MR vs Nikon 1 V1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1.
Olympus SZ-30MR vs Nikon 1 V1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus SZ-30MR is significantly lighter (157g ) than the Nikon 1 V1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on 1 V1, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Olympus SZ-30MR nor Nikon 1 V1 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Olympus SZ-30MR vs Nikon 1 V1: Sensor Comparison

Olympus SZ-30MR has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic III+ processor. On the other hand, Nikon 1 V1 has a 10.0MP 1-inch (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Olympus SZ-30MR's sensor provides 6MP more than Nikon 1 V1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the SZ-30MR and 1 V1 sensor size comparison.

Olympus SZ-30MR vs Nikon 1 V1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 Cameras


As seen above, Nikon 1 V1 has a 4.1x Larger sensor area than Olympus SZ-30MR. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Olympus SZ-30MR for Portrait Photography

POOR

Nikon 1 V1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 V1 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon 1 V1 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
600 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1700s
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.90
Read the details
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
135 Focus Points
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR for Daily Photography

GOOD

Nikon 1 V1 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Compact Body
226g
24.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
383g
Body Thickness 44mm
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon 1 V1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Olympus SZ-30MR vs Nikon 1 V1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Olympus SZ-30MR and Nikon 1 V1 scores compare:

Olympus SZ-30MR
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #213 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #790 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Nikon 1 V1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #80 out of 127 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #356 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon 1 V1 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Olympus SZ-30MR in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Olympus SZ-30MR. Otherwise, Nikon 1 V1 is the better camera overall.

Olympus SZ-30MR
Olympus SZ-30MR
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Nikon 1 V1
Nikon 1 V1
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Nikon 1 V1 vs Olympus SZ-30MR Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus SZ-30MR Nikon 1 V1
Brand Olympus Nikon
Announced 2011-03-02 2012-01-20
Body Type Compact Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area 28.07mm2 116.16mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 10 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 3872 x 2592
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 80 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points n/a 135
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Nikon 1
Lens Focal Range 25-600 mm (24×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.0-6.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 460k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1700s 1/4000s
Max Electronic Shutter n/a 1/16000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.00 m no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 2.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Eye-Fi Connected None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 226g 383g
Dimensions 106 x 69 x 40mm 113 x 76 x 44mm
Battery Life 220 shots 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 54
DxO Color Depth not tested 21.3
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 11.0
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 346
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