Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Panasonic XS1

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Panasonic XS1, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Panasonic. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and XS1 (16MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor size (1/2.3").

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The SP-590 UZ was announced 5 years before the XS1 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Panasonic XS1 being a Compact camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a brief summary of how the SP-590 UZ grades versus the XS1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS1. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Panasonic XS1 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-590 UZ enjoys external dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") along with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Panasonic XS1 has sizing of 94mm x 54mm x 14mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.6") accompanied by a weight of 103 grams (0.23 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Panasonic XS1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the SP-590 UZ vs the XS1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SP-590 UZ and XS1 is 72 and 97 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to see the contrast between sensor dimensions just by going over a spec sheet. The pic below should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-590 UZ and XS1.

As you can see, both the cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit not the same megapixels. You can count on the Panasonic XS1 to deliver more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged SP-590 UZ is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.