Canon SX120 IS vs Olympus SZ-12

Lets take a more detailed look at the Canon SX120 IS versus Olympus SZ-12, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Canon and Olympus. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the SX120 IS (10MP) and SZ-12 (14MP) and the SX120 IS (1/2.5") and SZ-12 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor size.

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The SX120 IS was announced 3 years before the SZ-12 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving in to a complete comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the SX120 IS grades against the SZ-12 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot SX120 IS and Olympus SZ-12. The whole galleries are available at Canon SX120 IS Gallery and Olympus SZ-12 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Canon SX120 IS offers outside dimensions of 111mm x 71mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.8" x 1.8") along with a weight of 285 grams (0.63 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-12 has proportions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Canon SX120 IS versus Olympus SZ-12 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at that moment. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the SX120 IS vs the SZ-12.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SX120 IS and SZ-12 is 87 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SX120 IS and SZ-12.

As you can see, both cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SX120 IS with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Olympus SZ-12 will offer you greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop pics far more aggressively. The older SX120 IS is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.