Olympus SZ-15 vs Samsung GX-1S

Below, we will be analyzing the Olympus SZ-15 and Samsung GX-1S, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Samsung. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and GX-1S (6MP) and the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and GX-1S (APS-C) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-15 was brought out 7 years after the GX-1S which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Samsung GX-1S being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the SZ-15 scores vs the GX-1S when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-15 and Samsung GX-1S. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery and Samsung GX-1S Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-15 enjoys external measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) while the Samsung GX-1S has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-15 and Samsung GX-1S in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the SZ-15 and the GX-1S.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-15 and GX-1S is 88 and 68 respectively.

Usually, its tough to envision the gap in sensor dimensions simply by checking out specs. The image underneath might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-15 and GX-1S.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-15 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Olympus SZ-15 will show extra detail having its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern SZ-15 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.