Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung HZ30W

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Samsung HZ30W, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Samsung. The image resolution of the XZ-1 (10MP) and the HZ30W (12MP) is fairly close but the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and HZ30W (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-1 was announced 13 months after the HZ30W making them a generation away from each other. Both cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving straight to a full comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the XZ-1 scores vs the HZ30W when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 and Samsung HZ30W. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Samsung HZ30W Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 has exterior 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 Samsung HZ30W has sizing of 107mm x 61mm x 28mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.1") with a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-1 versus Samsung HZ30W in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the XZ-1 and the HZ30W.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and HZ30W is 88 and 91 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to picture the difference in sensor sizes only by researching technical specs. The pic here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and HZ30W.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 with its larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Samsung HZ30W will result in extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The fresher XZ-1 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.