Olympus SZ-15 vs Panasonic GH5

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic GH5, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SZ-15 (16MP) and the GH5 (20MP) is pretty well matched but the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and GH5 (Four Thirds) have totally different sensor size.

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The SZ-15 was introduced 4 years before the GH5 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic GH5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the SZ-15 scores vs the GH5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH5. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery and Panasonic GH5 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-15 offers outside 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) whilst the Panasonic GH5 has measurements of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") having a weight of 725 grams (1.60 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-15 and Panasonic GH5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the SZ-15 versus the GH5.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the SZ-15 and GH5 is 88 and 59 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to envision the gap between sensor sizes purely by reading through specs. The image here will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-15 and GH5.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-15 with its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Panasonic GH5 will give you extra detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged SZ-15 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.