Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic S1R

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic S1R, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and S1R (47MP) and the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and S1R (Full frame) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-15 was brought out 6 years before the S1R which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic S1R being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the SZ-15 matches up against the S1R when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-15 & Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Panasonic S1R Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 comes with external measurements 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 S1R has dimensions of 149mm x 110mm x 97mm (5.9" x 4.3" x 3.8") having a weight of 1020 grams (2.25 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic S1R in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ-15 compared to the S1R.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-15 and S1R is 88 and 54 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizes simply by checking specifications. The image here will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-15 and S1R.

Plainly, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SZ-15 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Panasonic S1R will give you more detail having its extra 31MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged SZ-15 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.