Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-15

Here is a complete comparison of the Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-15, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are sold by Olympus. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and SZ-15 (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and SZ-15 (1/2.3") feature different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was manufactured 6 years prior to the SZ-15 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-420 scores vs the SZ-15 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 & Olympus SZ-15. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Olympus SZ-15 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 features outside dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-15 has proportions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-420 vs Olympus SZ-15 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the E-420 and the SZ-15.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and SZ-15 is 77 and 88 respectively.

Often, it is hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing only by looking at specifications. The visual here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and SZ-15.

Plainly, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-420 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus SZ-15 will give you greater detail due to its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images far more aggressively. The older E-420 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.