Olympus SP-800 UZ vs Panasonic FZ150

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus SP-800 UZ and Panasonic FZ150, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SP-800 UZ (14MP) and the FZ150 (12MP) is pretty close and both cameras posses the same sensor size (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SP-800 UZ was unveiled 3 years before the FZ150 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-800 UZ being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ150 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short introduction of how the SP-800 UZ scores against the FZ150 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SP-800 UZ and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-800 UZ Gallery and Panasonic FZ150 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SP-800 UZ offers outer dimensions of 110mm x 90mm x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") with a weight of 455 grams (1.00 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ150 has specifications of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 528 grams (1.16 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SP-800 UZ and Panasonic FZ150 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the SP-800 UZ compared to the FZ150.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SP-800 UZ and FZ150 is 69 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements purely by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-800 UZ and FZ150.

As you can see, both of the cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You should expect the Olympus SP-800 UZ to result in more detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older SP-800 UZ will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.