Olympus SZ-12 vs Ricoh CX5

Lets look much closer at the Olympus SZ-12 and Ricoh CX5, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Ricoh. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and CX5 (10MP) but they feature the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The SZ-12 was manufactured 6 months later than the CX5 so they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go through a detailed comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the SZ-12 grades vs the CX5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-12 & Ricoh CX5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Ricoh CX5 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera often, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 offers exterior measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Ricoh CX5 has specifications of 102mm x 59mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 205 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check the Olympus SZ-12 and Ricoh CX5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the SZ-12 vs the CX5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and CX5 is 89 and 92 respectively.

Typically, it is very hard to see the gap between sensor measurements merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual here might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-12 and CX5.

Clearly, both the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but not the same MP. You can anticipate the Olympus SZ-12 to offer you extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images much more aggressively.