Olympus XZ-1 vs Ricoh GR II

Below is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus XZ-1 versus Ricoh GR II, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Ricoh. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and GR II (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and GR II (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

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The XZ-1 was announced 5 years before the GR II and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Ricoh GR II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the XZ-1 matches up vs the GR II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 and Ricoh GR II. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Ricoh GR II Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 features physical measurements 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 Ricoh GR II has sizing of 117mm x 63mm x 35mm (4.6" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 251 grams (0.55 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-1 versus Ricoh GR II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the XZ-1 and the GR II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and GR II is 88 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to imagine the gap in sensor measurements purely by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and GR II.

Clearly, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Ricoh GR II will result in more detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images way more aggressively. The older XZ-1 will be behind in sensor tech.