Canon XC10 vs Olympus SZ-11

Following is a thorough review of the Canon XC10 versus Olympus SZ-11, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Canon and Olympus. The image resolution of the XC10 (12MP) and the SZ-11 (14MP) is fairly close but the XC10 (1") and SZ-11 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The XC10 was announced 3 years after the SZ-11 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Canon XC10 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the XC10 scores against the SZ-11 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon XC10 and Olympus SZ-11. The whole galleries are available at Canon XC10 Gallery and Olympus SZ-11 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Canon XC10 has physical dimensions of 125mm x 102mm x 122mm (4.9" x 4.0" x 4.8") along with a weight of 1040 grams (2.29 lbs) and the Olympus SZ-11 has dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Canon XC10 versus Olympus SZ-11 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the XC10 compared to the SZ-11.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XC10 and SZ-11 is 54 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to see the gap in sensor sizes just by researching specs. The pic underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the XC10 and SZ-11.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The XC10 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Olympus SZ-11 will result in extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The younger XC10 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.