Olympus 7040 vs Sony HX1

Below, we will be comparing the Olympus 7040 and Sony HX1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the resolutions of the 7040 (14MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the 7040 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 7040 was introduced 9 months later than the HX1 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 7040 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the 7040 scores against the HX1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 7040 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus 7040 Gallery & Sony HX1 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus 7040 provides external dimensions of 95mm x 56mm x 26mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 144 grams (0.32 lbs) while the Sony HX1 has proportions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus 7040 and Sony HX1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the 7040 vs the HX1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 7040 and HX1 is 95 and 67 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to picture the gap between sensor measurements simply by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the 7040 and HX1.

As you can see, both cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The 7040 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Olympus 7040 will give more detail using its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots much more aggressively. The more modern 7040 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.