Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX300

Following is a extended analysis of the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX300, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and HX300 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-1 was released 3 years earlier than the HX300 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short introduction of how the XZ-1 scores vs the HX300 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus XZ-1 has got physical measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Sony HX300 has specifications of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX300 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is a front view dimensions comparison of the XZ-1 versus the HX300.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and HX300 is 88 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizes only by going over a spec sheet. The picture here will provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and HX300.

As you can see, both of those cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony HX300 will deliver extra detail as a result of its extra 10MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.