Olympus 5010 vs Sony HX1

Lets look much closer at the Olympus 5010 and Sony HX1, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the 5010 (14MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the 5010 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") use different sensor sizing.

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The 5010 was revealed 9 months after the HX1 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 5010 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the 5010 matches up against the HX1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus 5010 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus 5010 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus 5010 provides outer dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.8") and a weight of 126 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst 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).

Check out the Olympus 5010 and Sony HX1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the 5010 vs the HX1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the 5010 and HX1 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions only by viewing a spec sheet. The pic below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the 5010 and HX1.

Clearly, both the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The 5010 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus 5010 will result in extra detail because of its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The newer 5010 should have an advantage in sensor technology.