Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony W290

Let's look much closer at the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony W290, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the W290 (12MP) is pretty well matched and both cameras boast the same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The SZ-12 was unveiled 2 years later than the W290 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the SZ-12 grades vs the W290 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-12 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Sony W290 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-12 comes with external dimensions 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 W290 has measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-12 and Sony W290 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the SZ-12 and the W290.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and W290 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to imagine the difference between sensor measurements simply by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic below should give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and W290.

Clearly, both of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different MP. You can expect the Olympus SZ-12 to give more detail having an extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The younger SZ-12 provides an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.