Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A230

Here, we will be contrasting the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A230, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the XZ-1 (10MP) and the A230 (10MP) is relatively well matched but the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and A230 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-1 was announced 21 months after the A230 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the XZ-1 scores vs the A230 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The whole galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony A230 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus XZ-1 offers exterior dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Sony A230 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A230 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view size comparison of the XZ-1 vs the A230.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and A230 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Often, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizes only by checking specs. The image underneath should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and A230.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras feature the identical MP albeit not the same sensor sizes. The XZ-1 has got the tinier sensor which will make achieving shallow DOF trickier. The newer XZ-1 will have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.