Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung NX100

The following is a comprehensive review of the Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung NX100, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Samsung. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and NX100 (15MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and NX100 (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-1 was brought out 5 months after the NX100 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Samsung NX100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the XZ-1 matches up vs the NX100 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 and Samsung NX100. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Samsung NX100 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-1 has physical dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) whilst the Samsung NX100 has measurements of 120mm x 71mm x 35mm (4.7" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 282 grams (0.62 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung NX100 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the NX100.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and NX100 is 88 and 88 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by going through technical specs. The picture underneath will offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and NX100.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Samsung NX100 will produce more detail having its extra 5MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images much more aggressively.