Olympus 1 vs Sony A560

Its time to look closer at the Olympus 1 vs Sony A560, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the 1 (12MP) and the A560 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the 1 (1/1.7") and A560 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 1 was manufactured 3 years after the A560 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus 1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a simple view of how the 1 scores versus the A560 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus 1 Gallery & Sony A560 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus 1 comes with outside measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") accompanied by a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Sony A560 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus 1 vs Sony A560 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the 1 and the A560.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 1 and A560 is 79 and 64 respectively.

Typically, its hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizes only by checking out specifications. The image below should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the 1 and A560.

Plainly, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The 1 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A560 will produce greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The younger 1 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.