Olympus SZ-12 vs Pentax K-7

Following is a thorough review of the Olympus SZ-12 and Pentax K-7, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the K-7 (15MP) is very similar but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and K-7 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-12 was released 2 years after the K-7 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-7 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a concise summary of how the SZ-12 grades versus the K-7 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 and Pentax K-7. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Pentax K-7 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-12 has got external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Pentax K-7 has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-12 and Pentax K-7 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the SZ-12 and the K-7.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and K-7 is 89 and 60 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes just by reviewing a spec sheet. The pic below might provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and K-7.

As you can see, each of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SZ-12 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-7 will offer you greater detail as a result of its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger SZ-12 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.