Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FZ47

On this page, we are analyzing the Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FZ47, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and FZ47 (12MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SZ-15 was announced 24 months after the FZ47 making them a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ47 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going into a detailed comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the SZ-15 grades vs the FZ47 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-15 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Panasonic FZ47 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 offers exterior dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Panasonic FZ47 has dimensions of 120mm x 80mm x 92mm (4.7" x 3.1" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 498 grams (1.10 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic FZ47 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the SZ-15 compared to the FZ47.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-15 and FZ47 is 88 and 68 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizes only by reading specifications. The picture here should provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-15 and FZ47.

Plainly, both of those cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different resolution. You can expect to see the Olympus SZ-15 to offer greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The newer SZ-15 provides a benefit with regard to sensor tech.