Olympus E-5 vs Olympus XZ-1

Here is a extended comparison of the Olympus E-5 versus Olympus XZ-1, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are manufactured by Olympus. The resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the XZ-1 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and XZ-1 (1/1.63") provide totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was announced at a similar time to the XZ-1 and they are both of a similar age. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-5 grades against the XZ-1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 & Olympus XZ-1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Olympus XZ-1 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-5 provides physical measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Olympus XZ-1 has specifications of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-5 versus Olympus XZ-1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-5 and the XZ-1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and XZ-1 is 58 and 88 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing just by going through specifications. The visual here may give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and XZ-1.

To sum up, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-5 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus E-5 will produce greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures way more aggressively.