Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A99 II

Following is a in depth overview of the Olympus XZ-1 and Sony A99 II, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and A99 II (42MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and A99 II (Full frame) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was brought out 6 years earlier than the A99 II which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the XZ-1 scores against the A99 II in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Alpha A99 II. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony A99 II Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-1 comes with physical 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 Sony A99 II has specifications of 143mm x 104mm x 76mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.0") having a weight of 849 grams (1.87 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-1 and Sony A99 II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the XZ-1 vs the A99 II.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and A99 II is 88 and 57 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to see the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading specs. The image below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and A99 II.

All in all, the 2 cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony A99 II will offer you greater detail having its extra 32MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.