Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung PL120

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung PL120, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Samsung. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and PL120 (14MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and PL120 (1/2.3") enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-1 was revealed very close to the PL120 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Samsung PL120 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the XZ-1 matches up versus the PL120 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 & Samsung PL120. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Samsung PL120 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-1 enjoys external measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Samsung PL120 has measurements of 94mm x 54mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") along with a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-1 vs Samsung PL120 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the XZ-1 against the PL120.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and PL120 is 88 and 99 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes only by viewing a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and PL120.

Clearly, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 having a larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Samsung PL120 will render more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images far more aggressively.