Olympus SZ-15 vs Olympus 9000

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus SZ-15 and Olympus 9000, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are sold by Olympus. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and 9000 (12MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SZ-15 was manufactured 4 years later than the 9000 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the SZ-15 scores against the 9000 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-15 and Olympus Stylus 9000. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery and Olympus 9000 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-15 has got exterior measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) whilst the Olympus 9000 has specifications of 96mm x 60mm x 31mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") accompanied by a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-15 and Olympus 9000 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the SZ-15 versus the 9000.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-15 and 9000 is 88 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements merely by researching a spec sheet. The photograph below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-15 and 9000.

As you can see, the two cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Olympus SZ-15 to result in greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more recent SZ-15 is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.