Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony HX80

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony HX80, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and HX80 (18MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The SZ-12 was announced 5 years before the HX80 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short highlight of how the SZ-12 scores versus the HX80 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-12 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Sony HX80 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you should take into account its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 has outside 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 HX80 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") along with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony HX80 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you choose at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ-12 against the HX80.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and HX80 is 89 and 91 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to envision the gap between sensor sizes simply by reading through technical specs. The pic here may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and HX80.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You should anticipate the Sony HX80 to give you extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images more aggressively. The more aged SZ-12 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.