Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony QX30

Below is a in depth analysis of the Olympus SZ-12 versus Sony QX30, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Lens-style by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and QX30 (20MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The SZ-12 was launched 3 years before the QX30 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sony QX30 being a Lens-style camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a brief overview of how the SZ-12 grades versus the QX30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX30. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Sony QX30 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 has got exterior measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Sony QX30 has specifications of 68mm x 65mm x 58mm (2.7" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 193 grams (0.43 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SZ-12 versus Sony QX30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the SZ-12 against the QX30.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and QX30 is 89 and 91 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by going through specs. The visual here will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-12 and QX30.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Sony QX30 to produce more detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older SZ-12 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.