Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic FZ80

Below is a thorough overview of the Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic FZ80, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference between the resolutions of the SZ-10 (14MP) and FZ80 (18MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor sizing (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SZ-10 was brought out 6 years earlier than the FZ80 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief overview of how the SZ-10 scores against the FZ80 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-10 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-10 Gallery and Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera, you need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-10 provides 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) and the Panasonic FZ80 has specifications of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") with a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-10 vs Panasonic FZ80 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing during that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the SZ-10 against the FZ80.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-10 and FZ80 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to envision the difference between sensor measurements just by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-10 and FZ80.

As you can see, the 2 cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Panasonic FZ80 to give you extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older SZ-10 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.