Nikon L120 vs Olympus SZ-11 Comparison

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Nikon L120

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Olympus SZ-11

14 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

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Nikon L120 vs Olympus SZ-11 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing L120 and SZ-11, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Nikon and Olympus. Both Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 cameras have 14.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensors. Nikon L120 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Olympus SZ-11 was launched in July 2011. There is only 6 months difference between L120 and SZ-11 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon L120 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-02-09

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 6400

25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

431g. 110 x 77 x 78 mm

Replaced Nikon Coolpix L110 Compare

Olympus SZ-11 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-07-27

14MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor

ISO 80 - 1600

25-500 mm F3.0-6.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

7 fps continuous shooting

HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution

226g. 106 x 69 x 40 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L120 over Olympus SZ-11

Max ISO	6.400 vs 1.600	300% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 460k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/4000s vs 1/2000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	330 shots vs 200 shots	130 more frames with a single charge
Focal Length - Tele	525mm vs 500mm	25 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	21× vs 20×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	5.80 vs 6.90	faster lens at tele

Reasons to choose Olympus SZ-11 over Nikon Coolpix L120

Continuous Shooting	7.0fps vs 1.0fps	6 fps faster
Weight	226 g vs 431 g	205 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide	3.00 vs 3.10	faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage	9.3m vs 6.0m	3.3m longer range

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Olympus SZ-11

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Focal Length - Tele	525mm vs 500mm	Very good Telezoom

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix L120 and Olympus SZ-11

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele	5.80 vs 6.90	Slow lenses at tele

Nikon L120 vs Olympus SZ-11: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon L120 has external dimensions of 110 x 77 x 78 mm (4.33 x 3.03 x 3.07″) and weighs 431 g (0.95 lb / 15.20 oz) (including batteries). Olympus SZ-11 has external dimensions of 106 x 69 x 40 mm (4.17 x 2.72 x 1.57″) and weighs 226 g (0.50 lb / 7.97 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11. Olympus SZ-11 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 4mm narrower, 8mm shorter and 38mm thinner than Nikon L120.

Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11.

Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus SZ-11 is significantly lighter (205g ) than the Nikon L120 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120

SZ-11

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

L120

SZ-11

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix L120 nor Olympus SZ-11 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Nikon L120 vs Olympus SZ-11: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 have 1/2.3-inch sized 14.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the L120 and SZ-11 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 Cameras

Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon L120 vs Olympus SZ-11 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon L120 features a 25-525 mm F3.1-5.8 21× zoom lens whereas Olympus SZ-11 features a 25-500 mm F3.0-6.9 20× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 25mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.00, Olympus SZ-11 is faster than Nikon L120 at this focal length. On the tele end, Nikon L120 has 25mm longer reach than the Olympus SZ-11. At f5.80, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

L120

SZ-11

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

L120

SZ-11

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

L120

SZ-11

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

L120

SZ-11

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon L120 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Olympus SZ-11 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Olympus SZ-11 for Street Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus SZ-11 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
525 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
500 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 200 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.90
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus SZ-11 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
21.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
431g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details

Compact Body
226g
20.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Body Thickness 40mm
Read the details

Nikon L120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus SZ-11 for Landscape Photography

POOR

25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon L120 vs Olympus SZ-11: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon L120 and Olympus SZ-11 scores compare:

Nikon L120

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #216 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #792 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Olympus SZ-11

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #230 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #819 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon L120 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus SZ-11 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Olympus SZ-11 vs Nikon L120 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix L120	Olympus SZ-11
Brand	Nikon	Olympus
Announced	2011-02-09	2011-07-27
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	CCD	CCD
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	14 megapixels	14 megapixels
Max Resolution	4320 x 3240	4288 x 3216
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	1,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	80 ISO	80 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-525 mm (21×)	25-500 mm (20×)
Max Aperture	F3.1-5.8	F3.0-6.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	6.00 m	9.30 m (@ ISO 1600)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	7.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720	1280 x 720
Video Formats	Motion JPEG	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	431g	226g
Dimensions	110 x 77 x 78mm	106 x 69 x 40mm
Battery Life	330 shots	200 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction