Introduction

If you're interested in what's happening on the fringe of the long-zoom category, read on for our head-to-head.

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To read our in-depth, hands-on review of the Samsung WB850F, click here.
To read our in-depth, hands-on review of the Olympus SZ-31MR, click here.

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Image Quality

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In both cases, image quality is decent enough, but flawed. The Samsung WB850F earned higher marks in our tests pretty much across the board. It certainly produces more accurate, vibrant colors than the SZ-31MR. The noise and resolution scores comes with a caveat—the Samsung's shots are more heavily processed than the Olympus', which is great when you're sharing online or making smaller prints. At larger sizes, it causes more distracting artifacts. But the SZ-31MR isn't a stunner at full-res either, so the edge goes to the WB850F.

Winner: Samsung WB850F

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Features & User Experience

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The Olympus SZ-31MR has a big ol' grip, which sets it apart from just about every other compact zoom out there. It's very easy to grip, and the bigger body accommodates a big ol' lens, too. It's a bit too bulky to fit into a pants pocket, but we'll throw it a bone and call it the most comfortable, longest-zooming compact zoom out there.

The Samsung WB850F goes the more tech-heavy route, offering in-camera WiFi and a mobile phone-inspired interface. Those are certainly cool, and the interface is superior to the Olympus'. But we've still yet to see a camera with WiFi that actually makes anything easier for casual photographers. It's a nice idea, but the implementation has a long way to go before it's worth bragging about.

This is a toss-up, but we give the edge to the Olympus—slightly.

Winner: Olympus SZ-31MR

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Conclusion

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We stand by our scores on this one. The Samsung WB850F is a better camera. It's a bit cheaper than the SZ-31MR, the image quality is superior (even if it isn't as great as the scores suggest), and we think that the interface is a bit slicker and more approachable. It probably won't end up being our pick of the year, but if for some reason it's down to these two cameras (somebody asked for this comparison, believe it or not), Samsung it is.

Overall Winner: Samsung WB850F

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