Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic ZS200

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus SZ-15 versus Panasonic ZS200, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SZ-15 (16MP) and the ZS200 (20MP) is fairly close but the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and ZS200 (1") have different sensor size.

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The SZ-15 was unveiled 5 years before the ZS200 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the SZ-15 matches up vs the ZS200 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-15 & Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Panasonic ZS200 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-15 provides exterior dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS200 has sizing of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") and a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-15 versus Panasonic ZS200 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ-15 vs the ZS200.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-15 and ZS200 is 88 and 86 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes simply by looking through specs. The image here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-15 and ZS200.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SZ-15 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Panasonic ZS200 will result in extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images more aggressively. The more aged SZ-15 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.