Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH2

Below is a extensive review of the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic GH2, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The image resolution of the SZ-15 (16MP) and the GH2 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and GH2 (Four Thirds) posses different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-15 was released 2 years later than the GH2 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH2 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SZ-15 scores against the GH2 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery and Panasonic GH2 Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-15 features 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) and the Panasonic GH2 has dimensions of 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0") having a weight of 442 grams (0.97 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic GH2 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the SZ-15 compared to the GH2.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-15 and GH2 is 88 and 70 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The visual below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-15 and GH2.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras feature the identical megapixels but different sensor measurements. The SZ-15 features the tinier sensor which is going to make getting bokeh tougher. The fresher SZ-15 should have a benefit in sensor tech.