Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX20V

Lets look much closer at the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX20V, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and HX20V (18MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and HX20V (1/2.3") offer different sensor size.

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The XZ-1 was brought out 18 months earlier than the HX20V which makes them a generation away from one another. Both cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the XZ-1 matches up against the HX20V with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony HX20V Gallery.

If you are planning to travel with your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 features exterior 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) and the Sony HX20V has dimensions of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX20V in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the HX20V.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and HX20V is 88 and 90 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by researching specs. The image below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and HX20V.

All in all, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony HX20V will render greater detail having its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.