Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony A560

Following is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony A560, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the XZ-10 (12MP) and the A560 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the XZ-10 (1/2.3") and A560 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

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The XZ-10 was announced 2 years after the A560 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A560 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a concise view of how the XZ-10 matches up vs the A560 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus XZ-10 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A560. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-10 Gallery and Sony A560 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-10 enjoys outside dimensions of 102mm x 61mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) while the Sony A560 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Examine the Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony A560 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view size comparison of the XZ-10 versus the A560.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-10 and A560 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes purely by looking at a spec sheet. The picture below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-10 and A560.

As you can see, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The XZ-10 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony A560 will give you greater detail with its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures much more aggressively. The more recent XZ-10 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.