Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony NEX-5N

Here is a thorough review of the Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony NEX-5N, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the NEX-5N (16MP) is very well matched but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and NEX-5N (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was brought out 4 months later than the NEX-5N and they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the SZ-12 scores against the NEX-5N with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 & Sony Alpha NEX-5N. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Sony NEX-5N Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-12 comes with external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-5N has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony NEX-5N in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ-12 compared to the NEX-5N.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and NEX-5N is 89 and 89 respectively.

Normally, its tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reading through specs. The graphic below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-12 and NEX-5N.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ-12 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony NEX-5N will give extra detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively.