Olympus SZ-15 vs Sigma SD15

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus SZ-15 versus Sigma SD15, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Sigma. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and SD15 (5MP) and the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and SD15 (APS-C) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SZ-15 was revealed 3 years later than the SD15 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD15 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the SZ-15 grades against the SD15 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-15 & Sigma SD15. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Sigma SD15 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-15 features external measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") and a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Sigma SD15 has proportions of 144mm x 107mm x 81mm (5.7" x 4.2" x 3.2") and a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Check the Olympus SZ-15 versus Sigma SD15 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the SZ-15 compared to the SD15.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-15 and SD15 is 88 and 59 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to visualise the difference between sensor sizing only by reading a spec sheet. The photograph here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-15 and SD15.

Clearly, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SZ-15 having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Olympus SZ-15 will deliver greater detail because of its extra 11 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The younger SZ-15 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.