Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony NEX-5

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus SZ-12 versus Sony NEX-5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the NEX-5 (14MP) is very comparable but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and NEX-5 (APS-C) boast different sensor size.

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The SZ-12 was revealed 20 months later than the NEX-5 making them a generation apart from each other. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the SZ-12 scores vs the NEX-5 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 provides external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has specifications of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-12 versus Sony NEX-5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the SZ-12 versus the NEX-5.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and NEX-5 is 89 and 89 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to picture the gap in sensor sizing only by going through specifications. The photograph here may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-12 and NEX-5.

To sum up, both of these cameras come with the identical resolution but different sensor sizing. The SZ-12 features the smaller sensor which should make getting bokeh trickier. The more modern SZ-12 provides an advantage in sensor tech.