Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony A33

Lets look much closer at the Olympus SZ-12 versus Sony A33, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the A33 (14MP) is pretty close but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and A33 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was unveiled 17 months later than the A33 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sony A33 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple overview of how the SZ-12 matches up against the A33 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-12 and Sony SLT-A33. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Sony A33 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-12 comes with exterior measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony A33 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-12 versus Sony A33 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at that time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the SZ-12 against the A33.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and A33 is 89 and 67 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by viewing specifications. The photograph below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-12 and A33.

Plainly, both cameras offer the same exact megapixel count albeit not the same sensor measurements. The SZ-12 provides the smaller sensor which should make obtaining shallower DOF more challenging. The newer SZ-12 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.