Olympus VG-160 vs Sony HX1

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus VG-160 vs Sony HX1, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the VG-160 (14MP) and HX1 (9MP) and the VG-160 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") have different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The VG-160 was released 2 years after the HX1 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the VG-160 grades versus the HX1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VG-160 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Sony HX1 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 comes with outside dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Sony HX1 has specifications of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") and a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Compare the Olympus VG-160 vs Sony HX1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the VG-160 and the HX1.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the VG-160 and HX1 is 96 and 67 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions purely by looking at specifications. The picture underneath might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and HX1.

To sum up, both of the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The VG-160 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Olympus VG-160 will give more detail as a result of its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The fresher VG-160 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.