Olympus SZ-15 vs Sony TX9

Following is a complete review of the Olympus SZ-15 versus Sony TX9, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the SZ-15 (16MP) and TX9 (12MP) but they come with the exact same sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The SZ-15 was revealed 2 years after the TX9 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Sony TX9 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the SZ-15 scores vs the TX9 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-15 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX9. The full galleries are available at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery and Sony TX9 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-15 comes with external 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 Sony TX9 has sizing of 98mm x 60mm x 18mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 0.7") having a weight of 149 grams (0.33 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-15 versus Sony TX9 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the SZ-15 versus the TX9.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-15 and TX9 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Normally, its tough to imagine the difference between sensor sizes just by reading through technical specs. The image below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-15 and TX9.

As you have seen, both of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different resolution. You should anticipate the Olympus SZ-15 to give you greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more recent SZ-15 should have a benefit in sensor technology.