Olympus 1s vs Sony HX1

Let's take a deeper look at the Olympus 1s and Sony HX1, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and HX1 (1/2.4") come with different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The 1s was launched 6 years after the HX1 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (SLR-like (bridge)).

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the 1s scores vs the HX1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1s & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus 1s Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 1s enjoys external measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") and a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) and the Sony HX1 has dimensions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") having a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus 1s and Sony HX1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the 1s versus the HX1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 1s and HX1 is 79 and 67 respectively.

More often than not, it is tough to visualize the difference between sensor sizes merely by reading through specifications. The pic here will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the 1s and HX1.

Plainly, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The 1s due to its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus 1s will give greater detail utilizing its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots a little more aggressively. The newer 1s should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.