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Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12

Portability
80
Imaging
55
Features
75
Overall
63
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III front
 
Olympus SZ-12 front
Portability
89
Imaging
37
Features
36
Overall
36

Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Key Specs

Olympus E-M10 III
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 410g - 122 x 84 x 50mm
  • Revealed August 2017
  • Succeeded the Olympus E-M10 II
  • Replacement is Olympus E-M10 IV
Olympus SZ-12
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
  • Launched January 2012
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Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Overview

Here is a complete overview of the Olympus E-M10 III and Olympus SZ-12, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both created by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-M10 III (16MP) and the SZ-12 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the E-M10 III (Four Thirds) and SZ-12 (1/2.3") use different sensor sizes.

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The E-M10 III was introduced 5 years later than the SZ-12 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M10 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a detailed comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-M10 III matches up against the SZ-12 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M10 III over the Olympus SZ-12

 E-M10 III SZ-12 
LaunchedAugust 2017January 2012Fresher by 69 months
Manual focus Very exact focus
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution1040k460kSharper screen (+580k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-12 over the Olympus E-M10 III

 SZ-12 E-M10 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M10 III and Olympus SZ-12

 E-M10 III SZ-12 
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen dimensions
Selfie screen Missing selfie screen

Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Physical Comparison

In case you're planning to carry your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M10 III offers external dimensions of 122mm x 84mm x 50mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 2.0") with a weight of 410 grams (0.90 lbs) while 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).

Look at the Olympus E-M10 III and Olympus SZ-12 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-M10 III compared to the SZ-12.

Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M10 III and SZ-12 is 80 and 89 respectively.

Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it can be tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing just by checking out specifications. The photograph underneath may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M10 III and SZ-12.

To sum up, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M10 III with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus E-M10 III will produce greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs far more aggressively. The younger E-M10 III should have an advantage in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M10 III Portrait photography information
Olympus SZ-12 Portrait photography information
73
focusing manually
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
features face detect autofocus
supports RAW files
33
good resolution (14 megapixels)
offers face detection focusing
no manual focus
manual mode not possible
no external flash support
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M10 III Street photography details
Olympus SZ-12 Street photography details
77
has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
features touch focus
very good ISO range (25,600)
heavier than competitors in class (410g)
60
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition (226g)
no moving screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M10 III Sports photography information
Olympus SZ-12 Sports photography information
69
silent shutter (1/16,000s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
features tracking focus
lack of phase detect autofocus
40
excellent zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
offers tracking autofocus
slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
very small sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery life (220 per charge)
does not have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M10 III as a Travel photography camera
Olympus SZ-12 as a Travel photography camera
67
features touch focus
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
heavier than competitors in class (410 grams)
screen isn't selfie friendly
65
lighter than competition (226 grams)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
quite wide (25mm)
very long zoom (600mm)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
bad battery life (220 CIPA)
does not posses selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M10 III Landscape photography details
Olympus SZ-12 Landscape photography details
80
focusing manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
very good ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW files
40
quite wide (25mm)
good sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (14MP)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
manual mode not possible
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW files
bad battery life (220 shots)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M10 III as a Vlogging camera
Olympus SZ-12 as a Vlogging camera
32
touchscreen functionality
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
features face detect autofocus
video res high (3840 x 2160 pxls)
screen isn't selfie friendly
doesn't have mic port
heavier than competitors in class (410 grams)
31
quite wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
offers face detection focusing
lighter than competition (226g)
slow maximum aperture (f3.0)
does not posses selfie friendly display
video res low (1280 x 720 pixels)
doesn't have external microphone socket
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Olympus E-M10 III vs Olympus SZ-12 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M10 III and Olympus SZ-12
 Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IIIOlympus SZ-12
General Information
Company Olympus Olympus
Model Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III Olympus SZ-12
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed 2017-08-31 2012-01-10
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VIII -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 -
Max resolution 4608 x 3456 4288 x 3216
Max native ISO 25600 1600
Minimum native ISO 200 80
RAW photos
Minimum enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 121 -
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 25-600mm (24.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.0-6.9
Amount of lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Type of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display sizing 3" 3"
Resolution of display 1,040k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.62x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 seconds 4 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/1700 seconds
Fastest quiet shutter speed 1/16000 seconds -
Continuous shutter rate 8.6fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 5.80 m (at ISO 100) -
Flash modes Auto, redeye, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, redeye slow sync, fill-in, manual, off Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Max video resolution 3840x2160 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 410 gr (0.90 lb) 226 gr (0.50 lb)
Dimensions 122 x 84 x 50mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 2.0") 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 330 images 220 images
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLS-50 LI-50B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter)
Time lapse feature
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I/II supported) SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Single Single
Price at release $650 $350