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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20

Portability
89
Imaging
37
Features
36
Overall
36
Olympus SZ-12 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 front
Portability
93
Imaging
36
Features
21
Overall
30

Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 Key Specs

Olympus SZ-12
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
  • 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
  • Launched January 2012
Panasonic FH20
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-224mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 178g - 100 x 56 x 28mm
  • Revealed January 2010
  • Additionally Known as Lumix DMC-FS30
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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 Overview

Here is a complete analysis of the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic FH20, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is pretty well matched and they enjoy the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The SZ-12 was unveiled 2 years later than the FH20 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the SZ-12 grades versus the FH20 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-12 over the Panasonic FH20

 SZ-12 FH20 
RevealedJanuary 2012January 2010Fresher by 25 months
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution460k230kSharper screen (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Panasonic FH20 over the Olympus SZ-12

 FH20 SZ-12 

Common features in the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic FH20

 SZ-12 FH20 
Manual focus Lack of manual focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Absent Touch friendly screen

Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-12 has external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Panasonic FH20 has measurements of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic FH20 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the SZ-12 against the FH20.

Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and FH20 is 89 and 93 respectively.

Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 top view buttons comparison

Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is very tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizing merely by checking specs. The photograph underneath will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-12 and FH20.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same megapixels so you should expect similar quality of files although you really should take the release date of the products into consideration. The more recent SZ-12 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 sensor size comparison

Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus SZ-12
Portrait photography with Panasonic FH20
33
good resolution (14 megapixels)
supports face detect focus
lack of manual focus
no manual control
can't use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
28
good MP (14MP)
lack of manual focus
no manual control
no external flash support
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus SZ-12 Street photography highlights
Panasonic FH20 Street photography highlights
60
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition (226g)
fixed screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
56
has image stabilization (Optical)
screen does not articulate
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus SZ-12 Sports photography advice
Panasonic FH20 Sports photography advice
40
amazing zoom range (25-600mm 24.0 x zoom)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
supports tracking focus
max frames per second very slow (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
not so great battery (220 shots)
lacks phase detect auto focus
34
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (14 megapixels)
very slow continuous shooting (5.0 fps)
no shutter priority
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus SZ-12
Travel photography with Panasonic FH20
65
lighter than competition (226 grams)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
relatively wide (25mm)
great zoom (600mm)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
not so great battery (220 CIPA)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
64
good MP (14MP)
has built in flash
relatively wide (28mm)
does not have Timelapse recording
display is not selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus SZ-12 as a Landscape photography camera
Panasonic FH20 as a Landscape photography camera
40
relatively wide (25mm)
screen is a good size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (14MP)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
no manual control
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
not so great battery (220 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse mode
37
relatively wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (14MP)
lack of manual focus
can't switch lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
no manual control
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW files
does not have Timelapse recording
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus SZ-12
Vlogging with Panasonic FH20
31
relatively wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
supports face detect focus
lighter than competition (226g)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.0)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
video quality not great (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have microphone port
28
relatively wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
display is not selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have external microphone port
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Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FH20 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic FH20
 Olympus SZ-12Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20
General Information
Make Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus SZ-12 Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20
Otherwise known as - Lumix DMC-FS30
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2012-01-10 2010-01-06
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4288 x 3216 4320 x 3240
Max native ISO 1600 6400
Minimum native ISO 80 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points - 9
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 25-600mm (24.0x) 28-224mm (8.0x)
Maximal aperture f/3.0-6.9 f/3.3-5.9
Macro focusing range - 5cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.9
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3" 2.7"
Display resolution 460k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display tech TFT Color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 4s 60s
Max shutter speed 1/1700s 1/1600s
Continuous shutter speed 1.0fps 5.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance - 5.80 m (Auto ISO)
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1280x720 1280x720
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 226g (0.50 lb) 178g (0.39 lb)
Dimensions 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") 100 x 56 x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 220 pictures -
Style of battery Battery Pack -
Battery ID LI-50B -
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, pet auto shutter) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Cost at release $350 $179