Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic S1R

The following is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic S1R, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and S1R (47MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and S1R (Full frame) provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-12 was manufactured 8 years prior to the S1R which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S1R being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a brief summation of how the SZ-12 scores vs the S1R when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic S1R Gallery.

In case you're going to travel with your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-12 offers outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Panasonic S1R has proportions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") with a weight of 1020 grams (2.25 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic S1R in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Below is a front view size comparison of the SZ-12 versus the S1R.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and S1R is 89 and 54 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to envision the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by researching specs. The pic here will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-12 and S1R.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-12 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Panasonic S1R will provide you with more detail due to its extra 33MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more aged SZ-12 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.