Olympus XZ-10 vs Sony NEX-7

On this page, we will be contrasting the Olympus XZ-10 versus Sony NEX-7, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-10 (12MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the XZ-10 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-10 was announced 14 months later than the NEX-7 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief view of how the XZ-10 matches up against the NEX-7 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus XZ-10 & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-10 Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-10 enjoys exterior 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 NEX-7 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-10 versus Sony NEX-7 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the XZ-10 versus the NEX-7.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-10 and NEX-7 is 91 and 84 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-10 and NEX-7.

As you can see, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The XZ-10 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh tougher and the Sony NEX-7 will give more detail with its extra 12MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more recent XZ-10 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.