Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony RX100

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony RX100, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and RX100 (20MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and RX100 (1") boast different sensor dimensions.

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The XZ-1 was unveiled 19 months before the RX100 making them a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving into a thorough comparison, here is a brief view of how the XZ-1 matches up versus the RX100 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony RX100 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 features external measurements 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 RX100 has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony RX100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the XZ-1 vs the RX100.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and RX100 is 88 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizes merely by researching technical specs. The image below should provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and RX100.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The XZ-1 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony RX100 will result in extra detail having an extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.