Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic TS5

Here is a complete comparison of the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic TS5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Waterproof by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the TS5 (16MP) is fairly close and both cameras boast the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The SZ-12 was manufactured 18 months prior to the TS5 making them a generation apart from each other. Both the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summation of how the SZ-12 matches up against the TS5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic TS5 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-12 has outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Panasonic TS5 has measurements of 110mm x 67mm x 29mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 214 grams (0.47 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-12 and Panasonic TS5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the SZ-12 vs the TS5.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and TS5 is 89 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to visualize the difference in sensor sizing simply by viewing specs. The visual below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and TS5.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different MP. You can anticipate the Panasonic TS5 to render extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics more aggressively. The older SZ-12 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.