Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic FZ80

Below is a comprehensive review of the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic FZ80, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and FZ80 (18MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The SP-590 UZ was manufactured 9 years prior to the FZ80 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have the same body design (SLR-like (bridge)).

Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the SP-590 UZ grades versus the FZ80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera often, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-590 UZ has outer measurements of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ80 has dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") along with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic FZ80 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the SP-590 UZ compared to the FZ80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and FZ80 is 72 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to imagine the gap between sensor measurements just by reading technical specs. The graphic underneath may provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SP-590 UZ and FZ80.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different resolution. You should count on the Panasonic FZ80 to offer you greater detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.