Olympus SZ-12
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-600mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
- 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
- Revealed January 2012
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
89 Imaging
37 Features
36 Overall
36
Olympus SZ-12 overview
Olympus SZ-12 is Olympus's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera originally released on January of 2012. The camera houses a 14MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4288 x 3216.
The SZ-12 comes in at #198 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and all-around #886 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can test our Advanced camera filter to see camera results based on your customized factors.
The following is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.
Olympus SZ-12 history
The Olympus SZ-12 is part of a family of products. You can read the detailed range underneath.
F3.0-6.914MP1/2.3"2012
Olympus SZ-12 Gallery
You can see the SZ-12 from various angles in the gallery below.
Olympus SZ-12 Pros and Cons
Below is a collection of benefits and drawbacks of the Olympus SZ-12 based on criterias which are usually seen as essential in a digital camera.
Olympus SZ-12 Sensor info
The sensor spec on the Olympus SZ-12 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4288 x 3216 pixels . The camera includes Image Stabilization (Sensor-shift). Optical stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter can easily lead to cropping.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe CCD sensor boasts 14MP and delivers a standard ISO range of 80 to 1600. Sadly, RAW photos are not supported which means that the user has less margin for error.
The picture underneath illustrates the SZ-12's sensor dimensions in comparison to other popular sizes. The SZ-12 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is displayed in green.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneTo get an idea of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.
Olympus SZ-12 dimensions
Olympus SZ-12 weighs 0.50 lbs (226 grams or 7.97 ounces) and features outside dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 grams and the Olympus SZ-12 is lighter when compared with various competitors.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsDown below is a shot of the Olympus SZ-12 beside a soda so you're able to have a sense of its scale.
The top view underneath will illustrate the button design on the SZ-12.
Olympus SZ-12 Lens info
The SZ-12 comes with a built in lens providing a focal range of 25-600mm giving it a 24.0 x zoom which is exceptional and would allow you to zoom all the way in.
At the widest 25mm, it offers an aperture of f3.0 and that's very slow and not ideal in low light conditions and you will probably find it difficult to capture a shallow depth of field. You would also have to boost the ISO setting giving you noisy photos. For the tele end, 600mm is fantastic zoom and comes at f6.9 which is really slow and you may need to apply slower shutter speeds.
Olympus SZ-12 Connectivity
The SZ-12 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- HDMI Yes
Cameras which have NFC and Bluetooth compatibility can easily be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You can easily send images and usually adjust settings without connecting directly to the camera.
Certain applications even provide a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it could be hooked up to an external monitor. Almost all cameras enable you to recharge the battery through the USB port.
Olympus SZ-12 Video info
The highest video quality on the Olympus SZ-12 is 1280 x 720 and it can capture in MPEG-4 and H.264 file format. 720p is low by today's standards. You should target a minimum 1080p quality for video recording. The camera doesn't include a mic and headphone port which means you have no control over your audio. It is perhaps a better idea to have a look at a different model if you need decent audio in your videos.
Olympus SZ-12 Weather Sealing
Olympus SZ-12 doesn't include weather sealing so rainy conditions may ruin the camera.
Olympus SZ-12 Screen and Viewfinder
The Olympus SZ-12 is equipped with a 3" fixed display boasting a resolution of 460k dots.
Please be aware that the display screen offers no touch support.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe ViewFinder specs regarding Olympus SZ-12 are below:
- ViewFinder None
In those sunny outdoor conditions which make the camera screens washed out and tough to view, viewfinders are pretty valuable.
Olympus SZ-12 Shutter info
Olympus SZ-12 continuous shooting rate is 1.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/1700 seconds.
Olympus SZ-12 Flash and Hot shoe info
Olympus SZ-12 includes only in-built flash lacking external flash ability.
Olympus SZ-12 Autofocusing info
Olympus SZ-12 includes just Contrast Detect AF and is missing Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster and exact when compared with Contrast Detect focusing. The camera supports Face detection which is helpful for portrait photography.
It also includes Tracking AF for moving objects. Olympus SZ-12 lacks manual focus. Manual focus can be useful during low light scenarios or you require more precise control on depth of field.
Olympus SZ-12 Battery life
The battery power (LI-50B) in the Olympus SZ-12 is made to last for 220 photos with respect to the CIPA measurements making it less compared to its rivals. The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR features the highest (600) battery life within this type of cameras.
Here is a number of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras which have the highest battery life:
Olympus SZ-12 for various forms of photography
The following graph gives a analysis of the Olympus SZ-12 for various forms of photography. To check out more, scroll to the specific paragraph underneath.
Olympus SZ-12 as a Portrait photography camera
The Olympus SZ-12 has a rating of 33 which is terrible, and means the camera is not really good for portrait photos. Photographing portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor size, RAW support together with the capability to use off-camera lighting.
Olympus SZ-12 Street photography info
With a decent score of 60, the Olympus SZ-12 is fairly appropriate to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera offers a fine balance of image quality plus portability.
Sports photography with Olympus SZ-12
A terrible sports photography score of 40 means the Olympus SZ-12 is not really good for photographing sports. A camera needs to have fantastic tracking and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.
Olympus SZ-12 Travel photography information
Size is really crucial in buying a camera for travel. Over-all, the Olympus SZ-12 gets a very good 65 for a travel camera which makes it a fine fit to buy for your travels.
Olympus SZ-12 as a Landscape photography camera
If you're looking to purchase a camera for landscape photography, the most critical aspect is going to be image quality. The Olympus SZ-12 at it's terrible grade of 40 as a landscape camera is not really good amongst it's rivals.
Vlogging with Olympus SZ-12
A vlogging camera really should offer a articulating display, microphone input and ideally image stabilization. Taking all things in to account, the Olympus SZ-12 is not really good as a vlog camera as it gets a terrible score of 31.
Olympus SZ-12 Alternatives
If you are in the market for replacements to the SZ-12, below is a range of the highest placed cameras that fall in to the family of Small Sensor Superzoom.
The diagram listed below gives you a bird's eye view of the SZ-12 compared to it's top ranked competitors shown earlier.
These are some more cameras you may consider as alternative options. To review a comprehensive comparison, visit the "compare" link.