Olympus XZ-1 has a
10.0MP 1/1.63-inch (8.07 x 5.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features TruePic V processor. On the other hand, Sony HX30V has a
18.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features BIONZ processor.
Sony HX30V's sensor provides 8MP more than Olympus XZ-1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the XZ-1 and HX30V sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus XZ-1 and Sony HX30V Cameras
As seen above, Olympus XZ-1 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Sony HX30V. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Olympus XZ-1
or the
Sony HX30V ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(1/1.63-inch versus 1/2.3-inch),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
