Olympus SZ-12 vs Sigma DP2

Here, we are contrasting the Olympus SZ-12 and Sigma DP2, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sigma. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and DP2 (5MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and DP2 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-12 was released 2 years later than the DP2 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP2 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a short overview of how the SZ-12 matches up vs the DP2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-12 & Sigma DP2. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Sigma DP2 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-12 provides outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sigma DP2 has sizing of 113mm x 60mm x 56mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 2.2") and a weight of 280 grams (0.62 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-12 and Sigma DP2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ-12 against the DP2.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and DP2 is 89 and 86 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to visualise the difference between sensor measurements simply by checking specs. The photograph below will provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and DP2.

As you can plainly see, both cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SZ-12 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Olympus SZ-12 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos way more aggressively. The more recent SZ-12 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.