Olympus SP-100 vs Sony HX1

Lets look more closely at the Olympus SP-100 versus Sony HX1, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the SP-100 (16MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the SP-100 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") posses different sensor dimensions.

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The SP-100 was manufactured 4 years later than the HX1 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (SLR-like (bridge)).

Before going into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summary of how the SP-100 matches up against the HX1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SP-100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-100 Gallery and Sony HX1 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera often, you're going to have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-100 has outer measurements of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") accompanied by a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) while the Sony HX1 has sizing of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") having a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SP-100 versus Sony HX1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the SP-100 and the HX1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the SP-100 and HX1 is 63 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizing merely by reading technical specs. The visual below might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-100 and HX1.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SP-100 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus SP-100 will offer more detail due to its extra 7MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more modern SP-100 should have an edge with regard to sensor tech.