Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony RX10 II

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony RX10 II, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and RX10 II (20MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and RX10 II (1") enjoy different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was launched 5 years before the RX10 II which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the XZ-1 grades against the RX10 II in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II. The complete galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony RX10 II Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera often, you'll have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-1 provides outside dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) whilst the Sony RX10 II has proportions of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") having a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony RX10 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the XZ-1 against the RX10 II.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and RX10 II is 88 and 58 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions merely by going through specifications. The picture below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-1 and RX10 II.

Plainly, the 2 cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony RX10 II will provide more detail utilizing its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 will be behind in sensor technology.