Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12
67 Imaging
61 Features
96 Overall
75
89 Imaging
37 Features
36 Overall
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Key Specs
(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
(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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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.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe 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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Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III & Olympus SZ-12. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery & Olympus SZ-12 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Olympus SZ-12
| E-M1 III | SZ-12 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | February 2020 | January 2012 | More recent by 99 months | |
| Manual focus | Dial exact focusing | |||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating display | |
| Display resolution | 1037k | 460k | Sharper 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 size | 3" | 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.
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.

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 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 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III | Olympus 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 |