Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic GF5

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic GF5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the GF5 (12MP) is pretty similar but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and GF5 (Four Thirds) provide different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was launched 2 months prior to the GF5 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GF5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SZ-12 matches up versus the GF5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic GF5 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 has got 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) while the Panasonic GF5 has specifications of 108mm x 67mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 267 grams (0.59 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic GF5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the SZ-12 versus the GF5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and GF5 is 89 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reviewing specifications. The graphic below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and GF5.

To sum up, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-12 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Olympus SZ-12 will offer you more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively.