Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony NEX-5

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony NEX-5, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and NEX-5 (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was brought out 8 months later than the NEX-5 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short highlight of how the XZ-1 scores versus the NEX-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera frequently, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 features external dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5 has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") along with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony NEX-5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the XZ-1 versus the NEX-5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and NEX-5 is 88 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizing merely by checking out specifications. The photograph below will offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-1 and NEX-5.

To sum up, both the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF harder and the Sony NEX-5 will show extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The fresher XZ-1 should have an edge in sensor innovation.