Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony a1

Below, we are matching up the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony a1, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and a1 (50MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and a1 (Full frame) possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-1 was announced 11 years earlier than the a1 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a simple view of how the XZ-1 grades vs the a1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Alpha a1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony a1 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera often, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-1 provides external measurements 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 a1 has proportions of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Check the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony a1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are utilising during that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the XZ-1 versus the a1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and a1 is 88 and 61 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to see the difference between sensor sizes only by going over technical specs. The picture below might give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and a1.

As you can tell, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Sony a1 will offer greater detail with its extra 40MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.