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Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12

Portability
67
Imaging
62
Features
96
Overall
75
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III front
 
Olympus SZ-12 front
Portability
89
Imaging
37
Features
36
Overall
36

Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 580g - 134 x 91 x 69mm
  • Released February 2020
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-M1 II
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
  • Revealed January 2012
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Overview

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-M1 III versus Olympus SZ-12, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are offered by Olympus. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and SZ-12 (14MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and SZ-12 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizes.

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The E-M1 III was launched 8 years later than the SZ-12 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-M1 III scores versus the SZ-12 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Olympus SZ-12

 E-M1 III SZ-12 
RevealedFebruary 2020January 2012More recent by 99 months
Manual focus Dial exact focusing
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k460kSharper display (+577k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-12 over the Olympus E-M1 III

 SZ-12 E-M1 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Olympus SZ-12

 E-M1 III SZ-12 
Display size3"3"Same display dimensions

Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Physical Comparison

In case you're intending to lug around your camera often, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 III features external dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-12 has specifications 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 Olympus E-M1 III versus Olympus SZ-12 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M1 III versus the SZ-12.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 III and SZ-12 is 67 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements purely by going over specs. The visual below will offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 III and SZ-12.

All in all, both of those cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 III because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 III will offer more detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-M1 III should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Portrait photography info
Olympus SZ-12 Portrait photography info
77
has manual focus
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports face detection autofocus
exports RAW files
33
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
includes face detect focus
manual focus not available
manual exposure not possible
can't use external flash
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Street photography with Olympus SZ-12
78
fully articulated screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
boasts touch focus
environment proof
very good high ISO (25,600)
60
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition in class (226g)
screen is fixed
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Sports photography information
Olympus SZ-12 Sports photography information
81
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
silent shooting (1/32,000 seconds)
high frames per second (60.0 fps)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports tracking autofocus
environment proof
sensor has phase detect autofocus
40
long zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good megapixels (14MP)
includes tracking focus
slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery life (220 shots)
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Travel photography with Olympus SZ-12
79
environment proof
supports bluetooth
boasts touch focus
decent sensor resolution (20MP)
screen is selfie friendly
65
lighter than competition in class (226 grams)
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
has built in flash
quite wide (25mm)
very long reach (600mm)
does not have Time Lapse mode
bad battery life (220 CIPA)
display is not selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Landscape photography with Olympus SZ-12
81
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor resolution (20 megapixels)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
doesnt have low pass filter
very good high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW files
environment proof
has double storage slots
40
quite wide (25mm)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good megapixels (14MP)
manual focus not available
can't change lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
manual exposure not possible
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
bad battery life (220 shots)
does not have Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-M1 III
Vlogging with Olympus SZ-12
79
screen is selfie friendly
touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detection autofocus
high quality video (4096 x 2160 pixels)
includes external microphone port
31
quite wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes face detect focus
lighter than competition in class (226g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
display is not selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have mic socket
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 III and Olympus SZ-12
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIIOlympus SZ-12
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Olympus
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Olympus SZ-12
Category Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Released 2020-02-11 2012-01-10
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic IX -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 -
Highest Possible resolution 5184 x 3888 4288 x 3216
Maximum native ISO 25600 1600
Minimum native ISO 200 80
RAW data
Minimum enhanced ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 121 -
Cross type focus points 121 -
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 25-600mm (24.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.0-6.9
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Type of display Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 3 inch
Resolution of display 1,037k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Display technology - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 4s
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/1700s
Fastest quiet shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shutter rate 60.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash -
Flash settings Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Maximum video resolution 4096x2160 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 580g (1.28 lb) 226g (0.50 lb)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") 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 420 images 220 images
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLH-1 LI-50B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter)
Time lapse feature
Storage type Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 2 1
Pricing at release $1,800 $350