Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GF1

Below is a complete assessment of the Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GF1, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and GF1 (12MP) and the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and GF1 (Four Thirds) use different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-15 was released 3 years later than the GF1 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GF1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple overview of how the SZ-15 grades vs the GF1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-15 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Panasonic GF1 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 has got outside 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 GF1 has dimensions of 119mm x 71mm x 36mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") having a weight of 385 grams (0.85 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GF1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the SZ-15 against the GF1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-15 and GF1 is 88 and 85 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements only by going over technical specs. The photograph below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-15 and GF1.

As you have seen, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SZ-15 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh more challenging and the Olympus SZ-15 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The more modern SZ-15 should have an edge in sensor technology.