Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic F5

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus SH-2 versus Panasonic F5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SH-2 (16MP) and the F5 (14MP) is very comparable and both cameras offer the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SH-2 was manufactured 2 years later than the F5 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving right into a thorough comparison, here is a brief summation of how the SH-2 scores against the F5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Panasonic F5 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-2 enjoys outside dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic F5 has measurements of 97mm x 58mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") along with a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Check the Olympus SH-2 versus Panasonic F5 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the SH-2 against the F5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-2 and F5 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to envision the difference in sensor sizing simply by going through technical specs. The graphic here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-2 and F5.

As you can tell, both of those cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You can expect to see the Olympus SH-2 to produce greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more modern SH-2 will have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.