Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony RX100 II

Here, we will be contrasting the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony RX100 II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the SZ-12 (14MP) and RX100 II (20MP) and the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and RX100 II (1") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-12 was announced 17 months earlier than the RX100 II which makes them a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick summary of how the SZ-12 matches up against the RX100 II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-12 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 II. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Sony RX100 II Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-12 provides external measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Sony RX100 II has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 38mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 281 grams (0.62 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony RX100 II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the SZ-12 versus the RX100 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-12 and RX100 II is 89 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements just by reading through technical specs. The graphic below should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and RX100 II.

As you have seen, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-12 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Sony RX100 II will give you extra detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older SZ-12 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.