Olympus E-1 vs Olympus SZ-12

Here, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-1 versus Olympus SZ-12, former is a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are offered by Olympus. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and SZ-12 (14MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and SZ-12 (1/2.3") offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-1 was brought out 9 years before the SZ-12 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-1 matches up against the SZ-12 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 & Olympus SZ-12. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Olympus SZ-12 Gallery.

If you are looking to travel with your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 offers physical measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-12 has measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-1 versus Olympus SZ-12 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-1 against the SZ-12.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and SZ-12 is 59 and 89 respectively.

Often, it's hard to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing specs. The pic below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-1 and SZ-12.

All in all, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-1 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Olympus SZ-12 will deliver more detail having its extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be behind in sensor technology.