Olympus XZ-1 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill

Following is a extended analysis of the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sigma DP3 Merrill, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sigma. There exists a noticeable gap between the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and DP3 Merrill (15MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and DP3 Merrill (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was manufactured 23 months prior to the DP3 Merrill making the cameras a generation away from one another. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the XZ-1 matches up versus the DP3 Merrill when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 & Sigma DP3 Merrill. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 enjoys external measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Sigma DP3 Merrill has dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sigma DP3 Merrill in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the XZ-1 versus the DP3 Merrill.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and DP3 Merrill is 88 and 83 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes just by going over specifications. The image underneath may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and DP3 Merrill.

To sum up, both of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Sigma DP3 Merrill will deliver greater detail due to its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics much more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.