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Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S

Portability
88
Imaging
40
Features
50
Overall
44
Olympus SZ-15 front
 
Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S front
Portability
62
Imaging
50
Features
82
Overall
62

Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S Key Specs

Olympus SZ-15
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 23-483mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 250g - 108 x 70 x 40mm
  • Launched June 2013
Panasonic GH5S
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 160 - 51200 (Push to 204800)
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 660g - 139 x 98 x 87mm
  • Released January 2018
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Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S Overview

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic GH5S, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and GH5S (10MP) and the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and GH5S (Four Thirds) boast different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-15 was unveiled 5 years earlier than the GH5S which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH5S being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a quick view of how the SZ-15 matches up against the GH5S with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-15 over the Panasonic GH5S

 SZ-15 GH5S 

Reasons to pick Panasonic GH5S over the Olympus SZ-15

 GH5S SZ-15 
ReleasedJanuary 2018June 2013Newer by 55 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen dimensions3.2"3"Bigger screen (+0.2")
Screen resolution1620k460kClearer screen (+1160k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic GH5S

 SZ-15 GH5S 
Manual focus Very exact focus

Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S Physical Comparison

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 has external dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Panasonic GH5S has dimensions of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") along with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic GH5S in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at the time. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the SZ-15 compared to the GH5S.

Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-15 and GH5S is 88 and 62 respectively.

Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S top view buttons comparison

Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S Sensor Comparison

Usually, it can be difficult to picture the gap in sensor dimensions simply by seeing a spec sheet. The image underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-15 and GH5S.

As you can see, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-15 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Olympus SZ-15 will provide extra detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged SZ-15 will be behind in sensor technology.

Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S sensor size comparison

Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus SZ-15 Portrait photography features
Panasonic GH5S Portrait photography features
44
manual focus
good MP (16 megapixels)
comes with face detect autofocus
can't use external flash
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
62
manual focus
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports face detect focusing
exports RAW formats
MP count low (10MP)
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Olympus SZ-15 Street photography advice
Panasonic GH5S Street photography advice
60
has image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition (250g)
screen does not articulate
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
68
screen articulates
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
exports RAW formats
boasts touch focus
environment sealing
great high ISO (51,200)
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus SZ-15 Sports photography highlights
Panasonic GH5S Sports photography highlights
53
amazing zoom range (23-483mm 21.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (16 megapixels)
comes with tracking focus
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
56
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
silent shooting (1/16,000s)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports tracking focus
environment sealing
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (10MP)
lacks phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus SZ-15
Travel photography with Panasonic GH5S
68
lighter than competition (250g)
good MP (16MP)
flash built-in
relatively wide (23mm)
very long zoom (483mm)
lack of Timelapse mode
display isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
61
environment sealing
has bluetooth
boasts touch focus
screen is selfie friendly
doesn't have Time Lapse function
MP count low (10MP)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus SZ-15
Landscape photography with Panasonic GH5S
49
manual focus
relatively wide (23mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good MP (16MP)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
lack of Timelapse mode
63
manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3.2 inch)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
doesnt have anti-alias filter
great high ISO (51,200)
exports RAW formats
environment sealing
2 card slots
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (10MP)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus SZ-15 Vlogging factors
Panasonic GH5S Vlogging factors
34
relatively wide (23mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
comes with face detect autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than competition (250 grams)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
display isn't selfie friendly
lack of microphone jack
68
screen is selfie friendly
touch screen
supports face detect focusing
high quality video (4096 x 2160 pixels)
includes mic support
does not have image stabilization
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Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5S Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic GH5S
 Olympus SZ-15Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S
General Information
Brand Olympus Panasonic
Model type Olympus SZ-15 Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S
Category Small Sensor Superzoom Pro Mirrorless
Launched 2013-06-21 2018-01-08
Physical type Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor - Venus Engine 10
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 10 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 3680 x 2760
Highest native ISO 3200 51200
Highest boosted ISO - 204800
Min native ISO 100 160
RAW pictures
Min boosted ISO - 80
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points - 225
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Micro Four Thirds
Lens zoom range 23-483mm (21.0x) -
Largest aperture f/2.8-5.9 -
Macro focusing distance 5cm -
Available lenses - 107
Focal length multiplier 5.8 2.1
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen sizing 3 inches 3.2 inches
Screen resolution 460k dots 1,620k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen technology LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 3,680k dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.76x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 8 secs 60 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/8000 secs
Highest silent shutter speed - 1/16000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 10.0 frames per sec 12.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 3.50 m no built-in flash
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 480fps (176 x 128), 240fps (384 x 288) 4096 x 2160 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 4096x2160
Video format AVI MPEG4, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264, H.265
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.1
GPS BuiltIn None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 250 gr (0.55 lbs) 660 gr (1.46 lbs)
Physical dimensions 108 x 70 x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") 139 x 98 x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life - 440 pictures
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID SLB-10A DMW-BLF19
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Double) Yes (2 or 10 secs, 10 secs w/3 images)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC cards (UHS-II V60 cards supported)
Card slots Single Dual
Cost at launch $200 $2,498