Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A9

In this write-up, we are matching up the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A9, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and A9 (24MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and A9 (Full frame) use different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-1 was unveiled 7 years before the A9 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a in depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the XZ-1 scores against the A9 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Alpha A9. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera often, you have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 provides external measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Sony A9 has sizing of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") with a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A9 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the XZ-1 and the A9.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and A9 is 88 and 65 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to visualize the difference between sensor measurements only by going over a spec sheet. The visual here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and A9.

Clearly, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony A9 will deliver greater detail having an extra 14MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The older XZ-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.