Olympus SP-810 UZ vs Sony HX1

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus SP-810 UZ and Sony HX1, both Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the SP-810 UZ (14MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the SP-810 UZ (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SP-810 UZ was announced 2 years later than the HX1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature the same body design (SLR-like (bridge)).

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SP-810 UZ scores against the HX1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SP-810 UZ & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-810 UZ Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus SP-810 UZ offers outer measurements of 106mm x 76mm x 74mm (4.2" x 3.0" x 2.9") along with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Sony HX1 has proportions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") along with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SP-810 UZ and Sony HX1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the SP-810 UZ against the HX1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SP-810 UZ and HX1 is 78 and 67 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to see the contrast in sensor measurements simply by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph here may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-810 UZ and HX1.

As you can see, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SP-810 UZ using its larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus SP-810 UZ will result in greater detail with its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images way more aggressively. The fresher SP-810 UZ will have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.