Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony A850

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony A850, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the XZ-10 (12MP) and A850 (25MP) and the XZ-10 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) enjoy different sensor sizing.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The XZ-10 was manufactured 2 years later than the A850 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the XZ-10 grades versus the A850 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus XZ-10 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-10 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-10 enjoys physical dimensions of 102mm x 61mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Sony A850 has proportions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") and a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony A850 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the XZ-10 and the A850.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-10 and A850 is 91 and 54 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizing merely by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph here should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-10 and A850.

As you can see, both of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The XZ-10 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh trickier and the Sony A850 will produce greater detail due to its extra 13MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The newer XZ-10 should have an edge in sensor technology.