Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic FZ35

The following is a extensive review of the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic FZ35, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the FZ35 (12MP) is very close and they enjoy the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The SZ-12 was manufactured 19 months after the FZ35 making the cameras a generation away from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ35 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the SZ-12 scores vs the FZ35 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Panasonic FZ35 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-12 enjoys external 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 FZ35 has dimensions of 118mm x 76mm x 89mm (4.6" x 3.0" x 3.5") and a weight of 397 grams (0.88 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-12 versus Panasonic FZ35 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the SZ-12 and the FZ35.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and FZ35 is 89 and 72 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor dimensions purely by viewing a spec sheet. The picture below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and FZ35.

Clearly, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different resolution. You should expect to see the Olympus SZ-12 to result in greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more recent SZ-12 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.