Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic F5

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic F5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SZ-10 (14MP) and the F5 (14MP) is very comparable and both cameras boast the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SZ-10 was announced 23 months before the F5 making them a generation apart from one another. Both the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summation of how the SZ-10 matches up against the F5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-10 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-10 Gallery & Panasonic F5 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera, you need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-10 has got exterior measurements of 106mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.5") with a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs) whilst the Panasonic F5 has sizing of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") having a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic F5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ-10 compared to the F5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-10 and F5 is 90 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing just by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic below will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-10 and F5.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have the same sensor dimensions and the same MP therefore you can expect comparable quality of pictures but you might want to consider the launch date of the cameras into account. The older SZ-10 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.