Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic GH5S

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic GH5S, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and GH5S (10MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and GH5S (Four Thirds) provide different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-12 was unveiled 7 years earlier than the GH5S which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH5S being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a brief view of how the SZ-12 matches up against the GH5S for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Panasonic GH5S Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 provides external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Panasonic GH5S has specifications of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") having a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic GH5S in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ-12 versus the GH5S.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and GH5S is 89 and 62 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions only by going through technical specs. The pic below will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and GH5S.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-12 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Olympus SZ-12 will show more detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics way more aggressively. The more aged SZ-12 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.