Nikon AW100 vs Olympus XZ-1

Following is a thorough analysis of the Nikon AW100 and Olympus XZ-1, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Nikon and Olympus. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the AW100 (16MP) and XZ-1 (10MP) and the AW100 (1/2.3") and XZ-1 (1/1.63") offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The AW100 was revealed 7 months after the XZ-1 so they are of a similar generation. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summation of how the AW100 scores versus the XZ-1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix AW100 and Olympus XZ-1. The full galleries are available at Nikon AW100 Gallery and Olympus XZ-1 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera regularly, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Nikon AW100 features external dimensions of 110mm x 65mm x 23mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 0.9") having a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-1 has sizing of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check the Nikon AW100 and Olympus XZ-1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the AW100 vs the XZ-1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the AW100 and XZ-1 is 93 and 88 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to see the difference between sensor sizes purely by reading through specifications. The picture underneath may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the AW100 and XZ-1.

To sum up, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The AW100 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Nikon AW100 will resolve greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more recent AW100 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.