Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Olympus XZ-1

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Olympus XZ-1, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are created by Olympus. The resolution of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and the XZ-1 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and XZ-1 (1/1.63") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The SP-590 UZ was announced 24 months prior to the XZ-1 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the SP-590 UZ grades versus the XZ-1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Olympus XZ-1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Olympus XZ-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SP-590 UZ has got outer dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") having a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Olympus XZ-1 has specifications of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Olympus XZ-1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view size comparison of the SP-590 UZ compared to the XZ-1.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and XZ-1 is 72 and 88 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to see the gap in sensor dimensions only by going through specs. The image below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-590 UZ and XZ-1.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SP-590 UZ using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Olympus SP-590 UZ will show extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged SP-590 UZ will be behind in sensor tech.