Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony RX100 IV

Lets take a deeper look at the Olympus XZ-1 and Sony RX100 IV, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and RX100 IV (20MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and RX100 IV (1") offer totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was revealed 5 years prior to the RX100 IV which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short summation of how the XZ-1 scores against the RX100 IV when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV. The full galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony RX100 IV Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 offers outer measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Sony RX100 IV has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs).

Compare the Olympus XZ-1 and Sony RX100 IV in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the XZ-1 versus the RX100 IV.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and RX100 IV is 88 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing specs. The picture here should provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and RX100 IV.

All in all, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony RX100 IV will deliver more detail because of its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.