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Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1

Portability
72
Imaging
35
Features
38
Overall
36
Olympus SP-590 UZ front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1 front
Portability
95
Imaging
39
Features
34
Overall
37

Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 Key Specs

Olympus SP-590 UZ
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 64 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 26-676mm (F2.8-5.0) lens
  • 413g - 116 x 84 x 81mm
  • Launched January 2009
  • Renewed by Olympus SP-600 UZ
Panasonic SZ1
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-250mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 131g - 99 x 59 x 21mm
  • Launched January 2012
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Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 Overview

Below, we will be analyzing the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Panasonic SZ1, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and SZ1 (16MP) but they possess the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The SP-590 UZ was unveiled 4 years before the SZ1 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic SZ1 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a short summary of how the SP-590 UZ grades vs the SZ1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus SP-590 UZ over the Panasonic SZ1

 SP-590 UZ SZ1 
Focus manually Dial exact focus

Reasons to pick Panasonic SZ1 over the Olympus SP-590 UZ

 SZ1 SP-590 UZ 
LaunchedJanuary 2012January 2009Fresher by 36 months
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")

Common features in the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic SZ1

 SP-590 UZ SZ1 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen resolution230k230kSame screen resolution
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Absent Touch friendly screen

Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 Physical Comparison

When you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SP-590 UZ enjoys exterior measurements of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") along with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ1 has specifications of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 131 grams (0.29 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Panasonic SZ1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select during that time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the SP-590 UZ versus the SZ1.

Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and SZ1 is 72 and 95 respectively.

Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it can be difficult to visualize the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading through a spec sheet. The visual here might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-590 UZ and SZ1.

Clearly, the two cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You can expect the Panasonic SZ1 to give extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 sensor size comparison

Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus SP-590 UZ Portrait photography information
Panasonic SZ1 Portrait photography information
37
manual focus
delivers RAW formats
cannot use external flash
low resolution (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
34
good megapixels (16MP)
supports face detect focusing
lack of manual focus
no manual mode
cannot use external flash
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus SP-590 UZ
Street photography with Panasonic SZ1
60
built in image stabilization (Optical)
delivers RAW formats
weather sealing
no moving screen
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
63
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors (131 grams)
screen is fixed
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus SP-590 UZ as a Sports photography camera
Panasonic SZ1 as a Sports photography camera
38
excellent zoom range (26-676mm 26.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
weather sealing
max fps very slow (6.0 fps)
low resolution (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF
40
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
supports tracking focus
max frames per second very slow (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus SP-590 UZ Travel photography information
Panasonic SZ1 Travel photography information
58
weather sealing
has built in flash
quite wide (26mm)
long reach (676mm)
low resolution (12 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
70
lighter than competitors (131g)
good megapixels (16MP)
has built in flash
fairly wide (25mm)
long zoom (250mm)
does not have Timelapse function
display isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.1)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus SP-590 UZ
Landscape photography with Panasonic SZ1
46
manual focus
quite wide (26mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
delivers RAW formats
weather sealing
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen is small (2.7")
low resolution (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
43
fairly wide (25mm)
good sized screen (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (16MP)
lack of manual focus
cannot switch lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
no manual mode
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
does not have Timelapse function
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SP-590 UZ Vlogging features
Panasonic SZ1 Vlogging features
24
quite wide (26mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
display is not selfie friendly
video resolution low (640 x 480 resolution)
doesn't have microphone jack
32
fairly wide (25mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
supports face detect focusing
lighter than competitors (131 grams)
slow max aperture (f3.1)
display isn't selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have microphone port
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Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic SZ1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Panasonic SZ1
 Olympus SP-590 UZPanasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1
General Information
Brand Olympus Panasonic
Model Olympus SP-590 UZ Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2009-01-07 2012-01-09
Body design SLR-like (bridge) Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.08 x 4.56mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio - 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 3968 x 2976 4608 x 3456
Highest native ISO 6400 6400
Min native ISO 64 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points - 23
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 26-676mm (26.0x) 25-250mm (10.0x)
Maximum aperture f/2.8-5.0 f/3.1-5.9
Macro focus range 1cm 4cm
Focal length multiplier 5.9 5.9
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display sizing 2.7 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 230 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display tech - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Features
Min shutter speed 15 seconds 8 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Continuous shutter speed 6.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 8.00 m 5.60 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 640x480 1280x720
Video file format Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 413g (0.91 lb) 131g (0.29 lb)
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") 99 x 59 x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8")
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 - 250 photographs
Battery form - Battery Pack
Self timer Yes (12 or 2 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage xD Picture Card, microSD Card, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots 1 1
Retail cost $249 $179