Olympus XZ-1 vs Panasonic FZ80

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Panasonic FZ80, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Panasonic. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and FZ80 (18MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and FZ80 (1/2.3") have different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was revealed 7 years prior to the FZ80 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic FZ80 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a full comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the XZ-1 matches up vs the FZ80 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 & Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ80. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Panasonic FZ80 Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-1 has external dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) whilst the Panasonic FZ80 has measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 119mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.7") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Panasonic FZ80 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the XZ-1 versus the FZ80.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and FZ80 is 88 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements purely by viewing specs. The graphic underneath might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and FZ80.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh easier and the Panasonic FZ80 will render greater detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will let you crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older XZ-1 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.