Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony A290

Below is a extensive overview of the Olympus XZ-10 and Sony A290, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the XZ-10 (12MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively similar but the XZ-10 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-10 was announced 2 years later than the A290 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a quick view of how the XZ-10 scores vs the A290 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus XZ-10 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-10 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-10 has got outer dimensions of 102mm x 61mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) and the Sony A290 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-10 and Sony A290 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the XZ-10 versus the A290.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-10 and A290 is 91 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to imagine the difference between sensor measurements only by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will help give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-10 and A290.

Clearly, both of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The XZ-10 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A290 will deliver greater detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The fresher XZ-10 should have an edge in sensor innovation.