Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A700

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus XZ-1 and Sony A700, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. The image resolution of the XZ-1 (10MP) and the A700 (12MP) is very comparable but the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and A700 (APS-C) offer different sensor size.

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The XZ-1 was announced 3 years after the A700 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A700 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the XZ-1 matches up versus the A700 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. The whole galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony A700 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-1 has got outer dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") having a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) whilst the Sony A700 has proportions of 142mm x 105mm x 80mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.1") having a weight of 768 grams (1.69 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-1 and Sony A700 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the XZ-1 vs the A700.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and A700 is 88 and 58 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizes just by seeing technical specs. The pic underneath might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-1 and A700.

As you can tell, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A700 will produce more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The fresher XZ-1 provides an advantage in sensor innovation.