Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung HZ35W

Here is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung HZ35W, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Samsung. The sensor resolution of the XZ-1 (10MP) and the HZ35W (12MP) is fairly well matched but the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and HZ35W (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-1 was announced 8 months later than the HZ35W and they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the XZ-1 scores vs the HZ35W in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 and Samsung HZ35W. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Samsung HZ35W Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-1 has got outside measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Samsung HZ35W has specifications of 107mm x 61mm x 28mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung HZ35W in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at the time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the HZ35W.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and HZ35W is 88 and 91 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizing purely by looking at a spec sheet. The visual here will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and HZ35W.

As you can see, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 having a larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Samsung HZ35W will give you more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop images far more aggressively. The fresher XZ-1 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.