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Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12

Portability
66
Imaging
39
Features
55
Overall
45
Nikon Coolpix P510 front
 
Olympus SZ-12 front
Portability
89
Imaging
37
Features
36
Overall
36

Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 Key Specs

Nikon P510
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-1000mm (F3.0-5.9) lens
  • 555g - 120 x 83 x 102mm
  • Announced July 2012
  • Older Model is Nikon P500
  • Successor is Nikon P520
Olympus SZ-12
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
  • Launched January 2012
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Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 Overview

Following is a comprehensive overview of the Nikon P510 versus Olympus SZ-12, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by manufacturers Nikon and Olympus. The resolution of the P510 (16MP) and the SZ-12 (14MP) is fairly well matched and they enjoy the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The P510 was introduced 6 months after the SZ-12 so they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Nikon P510 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple summation of how the P510 grades versus the SZ-12 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Nikon P510 over the Olympus SZ-12

 P510 SZ-12 
Focus manually More accurate focus
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution921k460kSharper display (+461k dot)

Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-12 over the Nikon P510

 SZ-12 P510 

Common features in the Nikon P510 and Olympus SZ-12

 P510 SZ-12 
LaunchedJuly 2012January 2012Similar generation
Display dimension3"3"Identical display size
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen
Touch friendly display Lack of Touch friendly display

Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Nikon P510 provides external measurements of 120mm x 83mm x 102mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 4.0") accompanied by a weight of 555 grams (1.22 lbs) while the Olympus SZ-12 has dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Nikon P510 versus Olympus SZ-12 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the P510 versus the SZ-12.

Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the P510 and SZ-12 is 66 and 89 respectively.

Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 top view buttons comparison

Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes purely by looking at specs. The image below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the P510 and SZ-12.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but different MP. You should anticipate the Nikon P510 to give extra detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos much more aggressively.

Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 sensor size comparison

Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 Screen and ViewFinder

Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Nikon P510 Portrait photography information
Olympus SZ-12 Portrait photography information
43
manual focus
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
has face detection autofocus
no external flash support
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
33
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
supports face detect focus
lack of manual focus
manual mode not possible
can't use external flash
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Nikon P510 Street photography advice
Olympus SZ-12 Street photography advice
50
has a tilting screen
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
more heavy than competition in class (555g)
60
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than others in class (226 grams)
no moving screen
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Nikon P510
Sports photography with Olympus SZ-12
50
great zoom range (24-1000mm 41.7 x zoom)
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
has tracking autofocus
sensor is small (1/2.3")
not so great battery power (200 CIPA)
lack of phase detect autofocus
40
great zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
supports tracking focus
max frames per second very slow (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
bad battery life (220 CIPA)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Nikon P510
Travel photography with Olympus SZ-12
54
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
pretty wide (24mm)
long reach (1000mm)
not so great battery power (200 shots)
more heavy than competition in class (555 grams)
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
65
lighter than others in class (226 grams)
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
built-in flash
really wide (25mm)
very long reach (600mm)
lack of Timelapse recording
bad battery life (220 per charge)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
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Landscape Comparison

Nikon P510 as a Landscape photography camera
Olympus SZ-12 as a Landscape photography camera
47
manual focus
pretty wide (24mm)
nice screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
not so great battery power (200 per charge)
40
really wide (25mm)
decent sized screen (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
can't swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
manual mode not possible
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
bad battery life (220 shots)
lack of Timelapse recording
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon P510 as a Vlogging camera
Olympus SZ-12 as a Vlogging camera
27
pretty wide (24mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
has face detection autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.0)
screen is not selfie friendly
doesn't have external microphone support
more heavy than competition in class (555g)
31
really wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect focus
lighter than others in class (226g)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
low res video (1280 x 720 resolution)
lack of microphone jack
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Nikon P510 vs Olympus SZ-12 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Nikon P510 and Olympus SZ-12
 Nikon Coolpix P510Olympus SZ-12
General Information
Company Nikon Olympus
Model type Nikon Coolpix P510 Olympus SZ-12
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced 2012-07-05 2012-01-10
Body design SLR-like (bridge) Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Expeed C2 -
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 -
Highest Possible resolution 4608 x 3456 4288 x 3216
Maximum native ISO 3200 1600
Min native ISO 100 80
RAW images
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 24-1000mm (41.7x) 25-600mm (24.0x)
Largest aperture f/3.0-5.9 f/3.0-6.9
Macro focusing range 2cm -
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 921k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen tech TFT-LCD with Anti-reflection coating TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30 seconds 4 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1700 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 7.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow-sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (15, 30fps), 1280 x 720p (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (120, 30fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Maximum video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 555g (1.22 lb) 226g (0.50 lb)
Dimensions 120 x 83 x 102mm (4.7" x 3.3" x 4.0") 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 200 images 220 images
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID EN-EL5 LI-50B
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots Single Single
Price at release $600 $350