Olympus SP-100 vs Olympus XZ-1

Let's look much closer at the Olympus SP-100 versus Olympus XZ-1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both offered by Olympus. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the SP-100 (16MP) and XZ-1 (10MP) and the SP-100 (1/2.3") and XZ-1 (1/1.63") provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SP-100 was released 3 years later than the XZ-1 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the SP-100 scores against the XZ-1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SP-100 and Olympus XZ-1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SP-100 Gallery and Olympus XZ-1 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SP-100 provides physical dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") having a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-1 has specifications of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SP-100 versus Olympus XZ-1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the SP-100 versus the XZ-1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the SP-100 and XZ-1 is 63 and 88 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to envision the contrast in sensor measurements purely by researching specs. The visual underneath might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-100 and XZ-1.

All in all, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SP-100 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF harder and the Olympus SP-100 will provide you with extra detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The newer SP-100 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.