Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic GX9

Here is a complete analysis of the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Panasonic GX9, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and GX9 (20MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and GX9 (Four Thirds) feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SP-590 UZ was revealed 10 years prior to the GX9 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic GX9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a short summary of how the SP-590 UZ scores against the GX9 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic Lumix DC-GX9. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Panasonic GX9 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus SP-590 UZ has got outside dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") along with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Panasonic GX9 has proportions of 124mm x 72mm x 47mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.9") along with a weight of 407 grams (0.90 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Panasonic GX9 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is the front view size comparison of the SP-590 UZ vs the GX9.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and GX9 is 72 and 82 respectively.

Often, its difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizing purely by reading specs. The visual underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-590 UZ and GX9.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SP-590 UZ with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Panasonic GX9 will offer you greater detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs far more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.