Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FZ150

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic FZ150, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the FZ150 (12MP) is fairly well matched and both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was introduced 3 months before the FZ150 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ150 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the SZ-12 scores against the FZ150 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic FZ150 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-12 comes with physical 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) and the Panasonic FZ150 has sizing of 124mm x 82mm x 92mm (4.9" x 3.2" x 3.6") and a weight of 528 grams (1.16 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic FZ150 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the SZ-12 compared to the FZ150.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and FZ150 is 89 and 67 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to envision the difference between sensor measurements simply by looking at specs. The visual here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-12 and FZ150.

As you can plainly see, both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You can anticipate the Olympus SZ-12 to give you greater detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos more aggressively.