Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic G7

Below is a in depth overview of the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic G7, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the G7 (16MP) is very well matched but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and G7 (Four Thirds) use totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was announced 4 years before the G7 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic G7 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise summary of how the SZ-12 matches up against the G7 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic G7 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-12 comes with physical measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Panasonic G7 has sizing of 125mm x 86mm x 77mm (4.9" x 3.4" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 410 grams (0.90 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic G7 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilising during that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the SZ-12 and the G7.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and G7 is 89 and 71 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to see the gap between sensor measurements only by looking at technical specs. The visual underneath will offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and G7.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SZ-12 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Panasonic G7 will give you extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The older SZ-12 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.