Olympus SP-800 UZ vs Panasonic SZ3

Following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus SP-800 UZ and Panasonic SZ3, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SP-800 UZ (14MP) and the SZ3 (16MP) is relatively close and they come with the exact same sensor size (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SP-800 UZ was manufactured 3 years earlier than the SZ3 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a quick overview of how the SP-800 UZ scores against the SZ3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-800 UZ & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ3. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-800 UZ Gallery & Panasonic SZ3 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-800 UZ features physical measurements of 110mm x 90mm x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") having a weight of 455 grams (1.00 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ3 has dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-800 UZ and Panasonic SZ3 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the SP-800 UZ against the SZ3.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-800 UZ and SZ3 is 69 and 96 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes purely by looking through a spec sheet. The pic here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-800 UZ and SZ3.

As you can see, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can count on the Panasonic SZ3 to result in more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged SP-800 UZ will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.