Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic ZS50

Below is a extended review of the Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic ZS50, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the ZS50 (12MP) is pretty similar and both cameras have the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was released 4 years before the ZS50 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before going right into a complete comparison, here is a concise view of how the SZ-12 scores vs the ZS50 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-12 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Panasonic ZS50 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor 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") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Panasonic ZS50 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 34mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.3") having a weight of 243 grams (0.54 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-12 vs Panasonic ZS50 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have at that moment. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the SZ-12 vs the ZS50.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and ZS50 is 89 and 90 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to see the gap between sensor measurements merely by going over specs. The graphic below will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and ZS50.

All in all, the two cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Olympus SZ-12 to deliver greater detail as a result of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older SZ-12 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.