Canon A810 vs Olympus XZ-1

Canon PowerShot A810 vs Olympus XZ-1: Two Small Sensor Compacts Cross Paths

As a camera reviewer who has handled thousands of cameras over the last 15 years, running each through a battery of real-world field tests and lab measurements, I’ve come to appreciate the nuances that distinguish even entry-level compacts - especially when comparing models with differing design philosophies and release eras. Today, I’m exploring two small sensor compacts aimed at enthusiasts seeking affordable portability: the Canon PowerShot A810 and the Olympus XZ-1. Despite their similar size class, these cameras represent quite different tradeoffs in image quality, handling, and features.

From family snapshots to occasional travel, I put these cameras through their paces across multiple photography styles, examining the often overlooked details that separate the purely “point-and-shoot” from a camera offering a more considered photographic experience. In this detailed comparison, I’ll share first-hand observations, technical analysis, and practical wisdom to help you decide which camera fits your style and budget.

Quick Look: Physical Presence and Ergonomics

At first glance, both cameras sit comfortably in the pocket-friendly compact category, but their body feel diverges considerably when held. The Canon A810 is petite and feather-light, humbly sized at 95x62x30mm and weighing just 171g (including batteries). The Olympus XZ-1 is noticeably chunkier and heavier at 111x65x42mm and 275g. This additional heft translates to a more substantial hand-feel with a more confident grip.

The A810 uses an ultra-lightweight plastic shell and runs on 2 AA batteries, a convenient but sometimes cumbersome power choice depending on your battery preferences and availability on the road. In contrast, the XZ-1 employs a dedicated Li-ion battery pack (the Olympus Li-50B), leading to a smaller battery compartment but requiring charging gear.

Ergonomically, the XZ-1 offers a more tactile, dedicated control layout, with a prominent exposure compensation dial and an aperture ring on its fixed lens - features I greatly appreciated during creative shooting sessions. The Canon lacks manual controls entirely, catering more toward fully automatic shooting modes. I’ll delve more into controls after assessing the top panel.

Sensor and Image Quality: Size and Resolution Matter

The heart of any digital camera is its sensor, and here we see the most significant specs gap. The Olympus XZ-1 courts enthusiasts with a larger 1/1.63” CCD sensor - measuring approximately 8.07x5.56 mm versus the Canon A810’s smaller 1/2.3” sensor at 6.17x4.55 mm. This translates into a sensor area almost 60% greater in the Olympus, a foundational advantage in noise performance and dynamic range.

While the Canon packs 16 megapixels, its smaller sensor means each pixel is tinier, impacting light gathering and noise. The Olympus applies a more conservative 10-megapixel resolution, which, combined with the larger sensor, helps preserve detail and noise control, especially in low-light scenarios.

From my experience shooting side-by-side in controlled lighting, the XZ-1 consistently delivered cleaner mid-ISO images with smoother tonal transitions and better shadow detail. The Canon’s results tended toward slightly more noise and less latitude for highlight recovery.

If you value subtlety in texture, color rendition, and tonal gradations - for example in portrait or landscape photography - the Olympus's sensor presents a measurable advantage. However, the Canon’s 16MP counting on a smaller sensor may yield slightly sharper 100% crops in optimal light, at the expense of high ISO performance.

Display and User Interface: Visibility Where It Counts

From a usability perspective, I find the rear LCD a critical user interface element for composing, reviewing, and adjusting settings. Here again, the Olympus steps ahead with a 3” OLED panel featuring 614k-dot resolution, offering crisp detail and excellent viewing angles in bright conditions. The Canon A810’s 2.7” LCD with 230k dots looks comparatively dim and coarse on the rear deck.

Neither camera boasts a touch screen or an electronic viewfinder standard. The Olympus offers an optional EVF accessory, a rarity at this price point for compacts, which enhances composition stability markedly. The Canon relies solely on its LCD for framing, which can be challenging under direct sunlight.

For users preferring manual controls and instant feedback of exposure adjustments on the LCD, the XZ-1’s sharp screen significantly enhances shooting enjoyment and precision.

Lens and Autofocus: Reach, Speed, and Creative Control

Both cameras feature fixed zoom lenses with optical image stabilization, a necessity for handheld shooting on small sensor compacts. The Canon A810 has a 5x zoom covering 28-140mm equivalent, while the Olympus offers a shorter 4x zoom spanning 28-112mm equivalent. More zoom reach in the Canon is appealing for casual travel or street photography when stepping closer is difficult.

The real distinction is the lens speed: The Olympus's fast f/1.8 aperture at the wide end (widening to f/2.5) gives it a decided advantage in low light and shallow depth-of-field effects, enabling smoother bokeh and subject isolation. In contrast, the Canon’s slower f/2.8-6.9 aperture range greatly limits its shallow DOF potential.

Autofocus in both cameras uses contrast-detection with 9-11 AF points. The Canon autofocus felt slower and more hesitant in low light or complex scenes, impacting wildlife or sports snapshots where timing is critical. The Olympus’s TruePic V processor helps deliver more responsive autofocus with face detection, albeit still behind modern phase-detect systems.

Shooting and Photography Genres: Strengths and Weaknesses

Let me walk you through how these cameras perform across the major photo disciplines I test routinely. This assessment merges my lab data and field shooting impressions across portrait, landscape, wildlife, sports, street, macro, night, video, travel, and professional uses.

Portrait Photography

The Olympus XZ-1’s combination of its larger sensor and fast aperture shines here. Capturing skin tones on both daylight and shaded portraits renders more natural gradations and smoother bokeh transition. Eye detection autofocus worked admirably, locking quickly during my handheld shots. Canon’s smaller sensor and slower lens produce flatter backgrounds and less pleasing skin texture, though the 16MP sensor allows cropping flexibility.

Landscape Photography

For landscapes where dynamic range and resolution count, Olympus’s larger sensor again confers a benefit, revealing enhanced shadow detail and richer color reproduction. The Canon can deliver good landscapes at lower ISO but struggles retaining highlight detail in harsh sunlight due to limited dynamic range. Neither camera includes weather sealing, so caution is advised shooting outdoors in inclement weather.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

These genres strain autofocus tracking and burst shooting. Unfortunately, both cameras show limitations. The Canon A810 manages only 1 fps burst speed, too slow for action sequences, and the autofocus felt laggy in my birdwatching trials.

The Olympus XZ-1 improved slightly at 2 fps with single autofocus, but still not near the speed required for fast-moving subjects. The shorter telephoto reach and limited AF tracking considered, neither camera is ideal for serious wildlife or sports photography.

Street Photography

Here, the Canon’s compactness and lightness scores points for discreet shooting and all-day carry. Its zoom range helps capture candid moments unobtrusively from varying distances.

The Olympus is larger and heavier but benefits from faster lens and better manual exposure controls, appealing to users wanting creative freedom and quality. Its optional EVF adds composure stability in challenging light, a bonus in street scenarios.

Macro Photography

The Olympus’s ability to focus down to 1cm and its sharper optics offer an edge in close-up shooting, capturing fine details on flowers and textures. Canon’s 3cm macro minimum focusing distance also suffices for casual close-ups but lacks the sharpness and control seen in the XZ-1.

Night and Astrophotography

Low-light capabilities favor the Olympus thanks to higher maximum ISO (6400 vs 1600) and larger sensor. Noise control at ISO 800 and 1600 is noticeably better, enabling longer handheld exposures. The Canon’s limited ISO range and smaller sensor make it difficult to shoot night scenes without noise or blur.

Neither camera offers in-camera intervalometers or bulb modes necessary for extended astrophotography, limiting use here.

Video Capabilities

Both models shoot HD video at 720p resolution, a modest standard today. Canon records 25 fps in H.264 compression, Olympus at 30 fps in Motion JPEG format. Neither supports external microphones or headphone monitoring, limiting audio quality control.

Image stabilization helps handheld video, with Olympus's sensor-based stabilization generally more effective. For casual home videos, both suffice, but videographers should look elsewhere.

Travel Photography

Travelers often want versatility, good battery life, and lightweight gear. The Canon A810’s AA batteries provide flexibility in remote areas, easy to carry spares. However, its weaker image quality and reliance on slower lens limit creative expression.

Olympus offers longer battery life (320 shots vs Canon’s 220) and superior image quality for memorable travel portraits and landscapes, but requires dedicated charging and carries more bulk.

Build Quality and Reliability

Physically, neither camera features weather sealing or ruggedized protection, so both demand care when used outdoors.

The Olympus XZ-1 presents a more purposeful build with higher quality materials and a metal body, giving confidence in durability through regular use. The Canon feels more plasticky but sufficiently robust for everyday casual shooting.

Battery Life and Storage

In practice, I found the Olympus’s lithium battery deliver longer shooting sessions per charge, an advantage for longer trips or events. The Canon’s 2 AA cells are convenient but tend to drain faster, especially alkaline types, and require carrying spares.

Both accept SD cards easily, with single card slots supporting SD, SDHC, and SDXC formats, so no surprises here.

Connectivity and Sharing

Neither camera offers wireless connectivity options - no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC - reflecting their era of release. Both rely on USB 2.0 for image transfer; Olympus additionally includes HDMI out for direct playback on TVs.

This makes instant social sharing less convenient, but for many casual shooters, this is a minor compromise.

Price and Value Analysis

At launch, price differences between these models were significant, and that remains true today.

• Canon PowerShot A810: ~$99 new (often cheaper used)
• Olympus XZ-1: ~$567 new (priced higher due to features and lens quality)

This nearly sixfold price gap reflects performance and feature disparities.

If your budget binds you to below $150, the Canon presents a functional, simple camera ideal for casual, snapshot users not fussed about ultimate image quality or controls.

Investing in the Olympus XZ-1 offers enthusiast-grade image quality, manual controls, and optical advantages suitable for discerning enthusiasts wanting an affordable second camera or quality walkaround.

Putting It All Together: Which Camera Fits You?

To aid your decision further, here are my tailored recommendations based on user needs.

For Beginners and Casual Shooters

If your goal is straightforward point-and-shoot photos capturing family moments or vacations without fuss, the Canon A810’s automatic modes and easy handling suffice. Lightweight body and AA batteries offer practical reliability and affordability.

Enthusiast Photographers and Creative Types

If you seek creative control, better image quality, low-light performance, and manual exposure options, Olympus XZ-1 is your better choice despite its higher price and larger size. The lens speed and sensor size deliver superior results across portraits, landscapes, and macro.

Travel Photographers on a Budget

Balancing image quality and portability is key. While the Canon’s compact size is handy, the Olympus’s better optics and exposure flexibility justify carrying the slightly heavier kit for the memorable shots you desire.

Specialized Photography (Wildlife, Sports, Astrophotography)

Neither camera excels here due to limited autofocus speed, burst rates, or advanced exposure modes. Professionals or hobbyists in these niches should prioritize higher tier cameras with dedicated phase-detect AF and larger sensors.

Final Thoughts: A Tale of Two Compacts

While both the Canon PowerShot A810 and Olympus XZ-1 technically fit the “small sensor compact” label, my hands-on experience shows they appeal to very different users. The Canon is a casual entry-level tool built for simplicity and portability, while the Olympus ventures toward enthusiast territory with better optics, sensor performance, and manual control.

I always recommend considering your photographic ambitions carefully. If you want an affordable camera that simply works without effort, the Canon is suitable. But if you crave a camera that rewards learning and intentional shooting with vastly improved image quality, the Olympus XZ-1 is worth the premium.

Embarking on this side-by-side exploration has been a refreshing reminder that well-designed compacts can still inspire creativity and capture cherished moments - each in their own distinct way.

Sample Image Comparisons

To illustrate image quality differences more concretely, I present side-by-side examples from both cameras in the gallery below. Observe color fidelity, sharpness, and noise patterns, especially in varying light conditions.

Canon A810 front Canon A810 screen back Olympus XZ 1 front Olympus XZ 1 screen back

I hope this detailed breakdown, forged from my extensive testing and photography experience, equips you with the clarity and confidence to select the right compact camera for your photographic journey. Feel free to ask questions or share your own experiences with these models!