Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony WX80

In this article, we are looking at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony WX80, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and WX80 (16MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and WX80 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-1 was manufactured 23 months before the WX80 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving straight into a complete comparison, below is a simple summation of how the XZ-1 scores vs the WX80 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX80. The entire galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Sony WX80 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus XZ-1 has got exterior dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Sony WX80 has measurements of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 124 grams (0.27 lbs).

See the Olympus XZ-1 versus Sony WX80 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at the time. Following is the front view size comparison of the XZ-1 versus the WX80.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and WX80 is 88 and 96 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing merely by researching a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-1 and WX80.

Clearly, both cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 because of its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony WX80 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The older XZ-1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.