Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus SZ-15
84 Imaging
58 Features
79 Overall
66
88 Imaging
39 Features
50 Overall
43
Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus SZ-15 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 427g - 125 x 72 x 37mm
- Revealed January 2016
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 23-483mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
- 250g - 108 x 70 x 40mm
- Released June 2013
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Lets look a bit more in depth at the Olympus PEN-F versus Olympus SZ-15, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are created by Olympus. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and SZ-15 (16MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and SZ-15 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe PEN-F was unveiled 2 years later than the SZ-15 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera.
Before diving into a full comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the PEN-F grades versus the SZ-15 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.
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The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN-F & Olympus SZ-15. The full galleries are provided at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Olympus SZ-15 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus PEN-F over the Olympus SZ-15
| PEN-F | SZ-15 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | January 2016 | June 2013 | Fresher by 32 months | |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen | |
| Screen resolution | 1037k | 460k | Clearer screen (+577k dot) | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies | |||
| Touch screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-15 over the Olympus PEN-F
| SZ-15 | PEN-F |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus PEN-F and Olympus SZ-15
| PEN-F | SZ-15 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Very accurate focus | |||
| Screen size | 3" | 3" | Same screen measurement |
Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus SZ-15 Physical Comparison
If you are going to carry your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F enjoys physical dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") with a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Olympus SZ-15 has dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs).
Examine the Olympus PEN-F versus Olympus SZ-15 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the PEN-F against the SZ-15.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and SZ-15 is 84 and 88 respectively.
Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus SZ-15 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is very hard to picture the difference in sensor sizing merely by looking through specifications. The visual underneath will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the PEN-F and SZ-15.
Plainly, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The PEN-F having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus PEN-F will render greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The younger PEN-F should have an edge in sensor innovation.
Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus SZ-15 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus PEN-F vs Olympus SZ-15 Specifications
| Olympus PEN-F | Olympus SZ-15 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Company | Olympus | Olympus |
| Model type | Olympus PEN-F | Olympus SZ-15 |
| Class | Advanced Mirrorless | Small Sensor Superzoom |
| Revealed | 2016-01-27 | 2013-06-21 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Compact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic VII | - |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 5184 x 3888 | 4608 x 3456 |
| Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Minimum boosted ISO | 80 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Total focus points | 81 | - |
| Cross type focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | - | 23-483mm (21.0x) |
| Largest aperture | - | f/2.8-5.9 |
| Macro focusing distance | - | 5cm |
| Total lenses | 107 | - |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 1,037k dots | 460k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Screen technology | - | LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360k dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.62x | - |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 8s |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/2000s |
| Maximum silent shutter speed | 1/16000s | - |
| Continuous shooting rate | 10.0 frames per second | 10.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 3.50 m |
| Flash modes | Flash Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (1st curtain), Slow sync (2nd curtain) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) | 1920 x 1080 (30fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 480fps (176 x 128), 240fps (384 x 288) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | AVI MPEG4, Motion JPEG |
| Mic port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | Built-In |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 427 gr (0.94 lb) | 250 gr (0.55 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 125 x 72 x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") | 108 x 70 x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 74 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 23.1 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.4 | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | 894 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 pictures | - |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | BLN-1 | SLB-10A |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 seconds, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Double) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Launch pricing | $1,000 | $200 |