Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic S5

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic S5, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and S5 (24MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and S5 (Full frame) use different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-12 was announced 9 years before the S5 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the SZ-12 scores against the S5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Panasonic S5 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 offers exterior measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Panasonic S5 has specifications of 133mm x 97mm x 82mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") with a weight of 714 grams (1.57 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic S5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the SZ-12 and the S5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and S5 is 89 and 60 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements just by looking at specifications. The photograph here will give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and S5.

To sum up, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SZ-12 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Panasonic S5 will give you extra detail with its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos much more aggressively. The older SZ-12 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.