Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic SZ5

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus SH-2 and Panasonic SZ5, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Panasonic. The resolution of the SH-2 (16MP) and the SZ5 (14MP) is fairly well matched and both cameras have the same sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SH-2 was announced 2 years later than the SZ5 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a quick view of how the SH-2 matches up against the SZ5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Panasonic SZ5 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SH-2 features physical dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Panasonic SZ5 has measurements of 104mm x 58mm x 21mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 0.8") with a weight of 136 grams (0.30 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SH-2 and Panasonic SZ5 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is a front view size comparison of the SH-2 vs the SZ5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and SZ5 is 88 and 95 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to visualize the difference between sensor measurements just by checking specifications. The photograph here might provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-2 and SZ5.

To sum up, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions but different MP. You can anticipate the Olympus SH-2 to give more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern SH-2 should have an advantage in sensor technology.