Olympus VG-120 vs Sony HX1

The following is a extensive comparison of the Olympus VG-120 versus Sony HX1, one is a Ultracompact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There exists a significant gap among the resolutions of the VG-120 (14MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the VG-120 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") boast different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The VG-120 was revealed 21 months after the HX1 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the VG-120 scores vs the HX1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-120 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus VG-120 Gallery and Sony HX1 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VG-120 has got physical measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Sony HX1 has dimensions of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") along with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VG-120 versus Sony HX1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the VG-120 compared to the HX1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-120 and HX1 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by looking through a spec sheet. The picture here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-120 and HX1.

As you can see, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VG-120 having a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Olympus VG-120 will render greater detail because of its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The newer VG-120 should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.