Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX100V

The following is a in-depth review of the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX100V, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and HX100V (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and HX100V (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was unveiled 8 months before the HX100V so they are of a similar age. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX100V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the XZ-1 grades versus the HX100V in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony HX100V Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 comes with external measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Sony HX100V has dimensions of 122mm x 87mm x 93mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 3.7") accompanied by a weight of 577 grams (1.27 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX100V in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the XZ-1 vs the HX100V.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and HX100V is 88 and 66 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions just by looking at a spec sheet. The image here will help provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and HX100V.

As you can see, the 2 cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field easier and the Sony HX100V will give you greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.