Nikon P90 vs Olympus SZ-12

Lets look more closely at the Nikon P90 and Olympus SZ-12, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by rivals Nikon and Olympus. The resolution of the P90 (12MP) and the SZ-12 (14MP) is very well matched and they feature the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The P90 was brought out 3 years before the SZ-12 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Nikon P90 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the P90 grades against the SZ-12 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon Coolpix P90 & Olympus SZ-12. The entire galleries are viewable at Nikon P90 Gallery & Olympus SZ-12 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Nikon P90 features physical dimensions of 114mm x 99mm x 83mm (4.5" x 3.9" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-12 has measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon P90 and Olympus SZ-12 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the P90 and the SZ-12.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the P90 and SZ-12 is 70 and 89 respectively.

Typically, its hard to visualize the difference between sensor measurements merely by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the P90 and SZ-12.

As you can see, the two cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus SZ-12 to give more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images far more aggressively. The older P90 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.