Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony RX10 II

Below is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony RX10 II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and RX10 II (20MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and RX10 II (1") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The SZ-12 was revealed 4 years earlier than the RX10 II and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight to a full comparison, here is a simple view of how the SZ-12 matches up versus the RX10 II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-12 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Sony RX10 II Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-12 has external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony RX10 II has dimensions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") having a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony RX10 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the SZ-12 compared to the RX10 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and RX10 II is 89 and 58 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to see the contrast in sensor measurements simply by viewing specifications. The visual underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and RX10 II.

To sum up, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SZ-12 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF tougher and the Sony RX10 II will provide you with more detail because of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older SZ-12 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.