Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FH20

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic FH20, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SZ-15 (16MP) and the FH20 (14MP) is pretty well matched and they enjoy the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The SZ-15 was introduced 3 years after the FH20 which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a simple summation of how the SZ-15 grades against the FH20 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery and Panasonic FH20 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-15 enjoys outside measurements 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 FH20 has measurements of 100mm x 56mm x 28mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic FH20 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the SZ-15 against the FH20.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-15 and FH20 is 88 and 93 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizes just by looking at specs. The image here will offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-15 and FH20.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You should expect the Olympus SZ-15 to give more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The younger SZ-15 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.