Olympus SZ-12 vs Samsung GX-20

Below is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus SZ-12 and Samsung GX-20, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Samsung. The resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the GX-20 (15MP) is relatively comparable but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and GX-20 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-12 was revealed 4 years later than the GX-20 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Samsung GX-20 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SZ-12 grades versus the GX-20 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-12 & Samsung GX-20. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Samsung GX-20 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera, you need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-12 has outer measurements 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 Samsung GX-20 has proportions of 142mm x 101mm x 72mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-12 and Samsung GX-20 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select during that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the SZ-12 compared to the GX-20.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and GX-20 is 89 and 58 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements merely by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and GX-20.

As you can see, both of those cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-12 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Samsung GX-20 will provide more detail because of its extra 1MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs more aggressively. The younger SZ-12 provides an edge in sensor tech.