Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony A77 II

Here, we are reviewing the Olympus XZ-1 and Sony A77 II, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and A77 II (24MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and A77 II (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was manufactured 4 years prior to the A77 II and that is quite a large 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 A77 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the XZ-1 grades vs the A77 II in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 and Sony SLT-A77 II. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Sony A77 II Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 has outer dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") and a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Sony A77 II has dimensions of 143mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 647 grams (1.43 lbs).

Check out the Olympus XZ-1 and Sony A77 II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the XZ-1 compared to the A77 II.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and A77 II is 88 and 62 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to envision the contrast between sensor sizing only by reading through specifications. The visual here may offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the XZ-1 and A77 II.

To sum up, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The XZ-1 due to its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Sony A77 II will give more detail due to its extra 14MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older XZ-1 is going to be behind in sensor tech.