Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic G9

In this article, we will be looking at the Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic G9, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and G9 (20MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and G9 (Four Thirds) feature totally different sensor size.

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The SP-590 UZ was manufactured 9 years prior to the G9 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic G9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summary of how the SP-590 UZ scores vs the G9 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Panasonic Lumix DC-G9. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Panasonic G9 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-590 UZ comes with external measurements of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") having a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Panasonic G9 has sizing of 137mm x 97mm x 92mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 3.6") with a weight of 658 grams (1.45 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic G9 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the SP-590 UZ compared to the G9.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SP-590 UZ and G9 is 72 and 62 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements simply by going through a spec sheet. The photograph here should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-590 UZ and G9.

As you can see, both the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SP-590 UZ because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Panasonic G9 will show extra detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ will be behind in sensor innovation.