Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic ZS200

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic ZS200, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference among the resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and ZS200 (20MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and ZS200 (1") have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was introduced 7 years prior to the ZS200 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short summary of how the SZ-12 grades vs the ZS200 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic ZS200 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-12 has got outer 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 ZS200 has measurements of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") with a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic ZS200 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ-12 against the ZS200.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and ZS200 is 89 and 86 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizing purely by researching specs. The graphic here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and ZS200.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SZ-12 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Panasonic ZS200 will result in greater detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics more aggressively. The older SZ-12 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.