Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony HX350

Let's look closer at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony HX350, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and HX350 (20MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and HX350 (1/2.3") come with different sensor measurements.

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The XZ-1 was released 6 years earlier than the HX350 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX350 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before we go through a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the XZ-1 grades vs the HX350 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX350. The complete galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony HX350 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera frequently, you have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-1 enjoys exterior 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 HX350 has proportions of 130mm x 93mm x 103mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.1") with a weight of 652 grams (1.44 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony HX350 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the HX350.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and HX350 is 88 and 62 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing merely by seeing technical specs. The graphic below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and HX350.

As you can tell, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh easier and the Sony HX350 will show greater detail as a result of its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The older XZ-1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.