Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic FX700

Following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic FX700, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and FX700 (14MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and FX700 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was announced 7 months after the FX700 and they are of a similar age. Each of these cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a short highlight of how the XZ-1 matches up versus the FX700 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Panasonic FX700 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera often, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 enjoys outside dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Panasonic FX700 has dimensions of 104mm x 56mm x 25mm (4.1" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 176 grams (0.39 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic FX700 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the XZ-1 vs the FX700.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and FX700 is 88 and 94 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to visualise the difference in sensor sizes purely by looking through technical specs. The picture below will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-1 and FX700.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 having a larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Panasonic FX700 will render greater detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger XZ-1 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.