Olympus SZ-12 vs Sony A35

On this page, we are evaluating the Olympus SZ-12 versus Sony A35, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the A35 (16MP) is fairly close but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and A35 (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-12 was introduced 4 months later than the A35 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Sony A35 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple view of how the SZ-12 matches up against the A35 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-12 & Sony SLT-A35. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Sony A35 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-12 has external dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Sony A35 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 415 grams (0.91 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SZ-12 versus Sony A35 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the SZ-12 and the A35.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and A35 is 89 and 69 respectively.

Normally, its tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizing purely by looking through specifications. The photograph below will provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-12 and A35.

Plainly, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ-12 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A35 will provide you with more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a bit more aggressively.