Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon G12 has external dimensions of 112 x 76 x 48 mm (4.41 x 2.99 x 1.89″) and weighs 401 g (0.88 lb / 14.14 oz) (including batteries). Olympus XZ-1 has external dimensions of 111 x 65 x 42 mm (4.37 x 2.56 x 1.65″) and weighs 275 g (0.61 lb / 9.70 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1. Olympus XZ-1 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 1mm narrower, 11mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Canon G12.
![Canon G12 vs Olympus XZ-1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View]()
Comparison image of Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View
Here is the back view size comparison of Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1.
![Canon G12 vs Olympus XZ-1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View]()
Comparison image of Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 Size and Weight - Back View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1.
![Canon G12 vs Olympus XZ-1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View]()
Top View Comparison image of Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 Size
Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Olympus XZ-1 is significantly lighter (126g ) than the Canon G12 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Weight Comparison
Compact Cameras
Thickness Comparison
Compact Cameras
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither Canon PowerShot G12 nor Olympus XZ-1 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Olympus XZ-1's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon G12's 2.8" screen.
On the other hand, Canon G12 sports a
Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Olympus XZ-1 has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to G12.
Both Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 have 10.0 MP resolution sensors but Canon G12's sensor is 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) and Olympus XZ-1's sensor is 1/1.63" (8.07 x 5.56 mm ).
Since Olympus XZ-1's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Canon G12.
Below you can see the G12 and XZ-1 sensor size comparison.
![Canon G12 vs Olympus XZ-1 Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 Cameras
Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, G12 has scored 47, 13 points higher than XZ-1.
| Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
|
Canon G12 |
47 |
20.4 bits |
11.2 Evs |
161 ISO |
|
Olympus XZ-1 |
34 |
18.8 bits |
10.4 Evs |
117 ISO |
Canon G12 features a 28-140 mm F2.8-4.5 5× zoom lens whereas Olympus XZ-1 features a 28-112 mm F1.8-2.5 4× zoom lens.
Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 28mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Olympus XZ-1 is faster than Canon G12 at this focal length.
On the tele end, Canon G12 has 28mm longer reach than the Olympus XZ-1. However, with a max aperture of f2.50, Olympus XZ-1 is faster at tele end.
Wide Coverage
Compact Cameras
Max Aperture at Tele
Compact Cameras
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Max Aperture at Wide
Compact Cameras
In this section, we rank and compare Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.
Canon G12 for Portrait Photography
Olympus XZ-1 for Portrait Photography
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.63" (8.07 x 5.56 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Canon G12 for Street Photography
Olympus XZ-1 for Street Photography
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Optional External Viewfinder
Small 1/1.63" (8.07 x 5.56 mm) sensor
Read the details
Canon G12 for Sports Photography
Olympus XZ-1 for Sports Photography
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
140 mm Tele Lens
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
11 Focus Points
Optional External Viewfinder
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 2.0fps
Environmental Sealings
112 mm Tele Lens
Read the details
Canon G12 for Daily Photography
Olympus XZ-1 for Daily Photography
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
5.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
401g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
275g
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.63" (8.07 x 5.56 mm) sensor
Body Thickness 42mm
Read the details
Canon G12 for Landscape Photography
Olympus XZ-1 for Landscape Photography
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.63" (8.07 x 5.56 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects.
Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.
Here is a summary of how Canon G12 and Olympus XZ-1 scores compare:
Canon G12
Ranked
#29 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked
#396 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Olympus XZ-1
Ranked
#32 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked
#403 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Canon G12 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus XZ-1 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.
| General |
Canon PowerShot G12 |
Olympus XZ-1 |
| Brand |
Canon |
Olympus |
| Announced |
2011-01-19 |
2011-01-26 |
| Body Type |
Compact |
Compact |
Sensor |
|
|
| Type |
CCD |
CCD |
| Size |
1/1.7" |
1/1.63" |
| Dimensions |
7.44 x 5.58 mm |
8.07 x 5.56 mm |
| Area |
41.52mm2 |
44.87mm2 |
| Megapixels |
10 megapixels |
10 megapixels |
| Max Resolution |
3648 x 2736 |
3664 x 2752 |
| Max Native Light sensitivity |
3,200 ISO |
6,400 ISO |
| Min Native Light sensitivity |
80 ISO |
100 ISO |
| RAW Support |
|
|
Autofocus |
|
|
| AF Touch |
|
|
| AF Continuous |
|
|
| AF Single |
|
|
| AF Tracking |
|
|
| AF Selective |
|
|
| AF Center |
|
|
| AF Multi Area |
|
|
| AF Live View |
|
|
| AF Face Detection |
|
|
| AF Contrast Detection |
|
|
| AF Phase Detection |
|
|
| Number of Focus Points |
9 |
11 |
Lens |
|
|
| Manual Focus |
|
|
| Lens Mount |
fixed lens |
fixed lens |
| Lens Focal Range |
28-140 mm (5×) |
28-112 mm (4×) |
| Max Aperture |
F2.8-4.5 |
F1.8-2.5 |
| Macro Focus Range |
1cm |
1cm |
Screen |
|
|
| Type |
Fully Articulated |
Fixed type |
| Size |
2.8" |
3" |
| Resolution |
461k dots |
614k dots |
| Touch Screen |
|
|
Viewfinder |
|
|
| Viewfinder |
Optical (tunnel) |
Electronic (optional) |
Photography Features |
|
|
| Max Mechanical Shutter |
1/4000s |
1/2000s |
| Shutter Priority |
|
|
| Aperture Priority |
|
|
| Manual Exposure Mode |
|
|
| Custom White Balance |
|
|
| Image Stabilization |
Optical |
Sensor-shift |
| Built-in Flash |
|
|
| Flash Range |
7.00 m |
8.60 m (ISO 800) |
| Max Flash Sync |
1/2000s |
n/a |
| External Flash |
|
|
| Continuous Shooting |
1.0 fps |
2.0 fps |
| Multi-Segment |
|
|
| Average |
|
|
| Spot |
|
|
| Partial |
|
|
| AF-Area |
|
|
| Center Weighted |
|
|
| AE Bracketing |
|
|
| WB Bracketing |
|
|
Video Features |
|
|
| Max Video Resolution |
1280 x 720 |
1280 x 720 |
| Video Formats |
H.264 |
Motion JPEG |
| Microphone Port |
|
|
| Headphone Port |
|
|
Connectivity |
|
|
| Wireless Connectivity |
Eye-Fi Connected |
None |
| HDMI |
|
|
Physical |
|
|
| Environmental Sealing |
|
|
| Weight |
401g |
275g |
| Dimensions |
112 x 76 x 48mm |
111 x 65 x 42mm |
| Battery Life |
370 shots |
320 shots |
Other Features |
|
|
| Timelapse Recording |
|
|
| GPS |
None |
None |
DxO Sensor Scores |
|
|
| DxO Overall Score |
47 |
34 |
| DxO Color Depth |
20.4 |
18.8 |
| DxO Dynamic Range |
11.2 |
10.4 |
| DxO Low Light ISO |
161 |
117 |
|
Report a correction |
Report a correction |