Olympus 9000 vs Panasonic SZ8

The following is a in-depth review of the Olympus 9000 versus Panasonic SZ8, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the 9000 (12MP) and SZ8 (16MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The 9000 was unveiled 5 years prior to the SZ8 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the 9000 grades vs the SZ8 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus 9000 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ8. The full galleries are provided at Olympus 9000 Gallery & Panasonic SZ8 Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus 9000 comes with outer dimensions of 96mm x 60mm x 31mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Panasonic SZ8 has measurements of 100mm x 60mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus 9000 versus Panasonic SZ8 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the 9000 and the SZ8.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the 9000 and SZ8 is 92 and 94 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to envision the gap in sensor dimensions merely by going through specifications. The pic here will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the 9000 and SZ8.

To sum up, each of these cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You can expect to see the Panasonic SZ8 to show more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged 9000 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.