Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony A300

Here, we will be contrasting the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony A300, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and A300 (10MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and A300 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was introduced 4 years after the A300 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the SZ-12 matches up vs the A300 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-12 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Sony A300 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to travel with your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-12 provides external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony A300 has proportions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony A300 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the SZ-12 compared to the A300.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and A300 is 89 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions simply by checking specs. The picture underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and A300.

All in all, both cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-12 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus SZ-12 will give you greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots way more aggressively. The fresher SZ-12 should have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.