Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

Here, we are comparing the Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SZ-15 (16MP) and the FZ1000 II (20MP) is fairly well matched but the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and FZ1000 II (1") provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-15 was launched 6 years before the FZ1000 II and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ1000 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the SZ-15 scores versus the FZ1000 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-15 & Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Panasonic FZ1000 II Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 provides physical dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ1000 II has dimensions of 136mm x 97mm x 132mm (5.4" x 3.8" x 5.2") accompanied by a weight of 808 grams (1.78 lbs).

Check the Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FZ1000 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the SZ-15 and the FZ1000 II.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-15 and FZ1000 II is 88 and 55 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to picture the gap between sensor sizing simply by checking technical specs. The graphic here will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-15 and FZ1000 II.

As you can tell, each of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SZ-15 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic FZ1000 II will resolve greater detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older SZ-15 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.