Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FZ1000

On this page, we are contrasting the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic FZ1000, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and FZ1000 (20MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and FZ1000 (1") posses different sensor size.

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The SZ-12 was revealed 3 years earlier than the FZ1000 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a quick summary of how the SZ-12 scores versus the FZ1000 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic FZ1000 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-12 enjoys outer 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) whilst the Panasonic FZ1000 has measurements of 137mm x 99mm x 131mm (5.4" x 3.9" x 5.2") along with a weight of 831 grams (1.83 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic FZ1000 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the SZ-12 against the FZ1000.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and FZ1000 is 89 and 55 respectively.

Normally, its tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing just by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and FZ1000.

As you can see, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ-12 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field trickier and the Panasonic FZ1000 will give you more detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics more aggressively. The older SZ-12 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.