Olympus XZ-1 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus XZ-1 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Olympus XZ-1 was introduced in January 2011 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V was introduced in April 2015. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus XZ-1 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V over Olympus XZ-1.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V have 3.0" screens with 614k dot and 921k dot resolutions respectively. Olympus XZ-1 has a Fixed screen Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting.

Viewfinder

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 638k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage.Olympus XZ-1 does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached.

Olympus XZ-1 features a 10 megapixel 1/1.63-inch CCD sensor with dimensions of 8.07 x 5.56 mm and a total area of 44.9 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V features a 18.2 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 20.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 80 - 12,800.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Olympus XZ-1 is equipped with TruePic V processor and can take pictures up to 3664 x 2752 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3648 x 2736, 3648 x 2056, 3648 x 2432, 3200 x 2400, 3200 x 1800, 3216 x 2144, 2736 x 2736, 2400 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 2560 x 1440, 2544 x 1696, 1920 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1536 x 864, 1584 x 1056, 1296 x 864, 1280 x 960, 1280 x 720, 1216 x 1216, 1024 x 768, 1024 x 576, 1008 x 672, 960 x 960, 768 x 768, 640 x 480, 640 x 360, 624 x 416, 480 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V is equipped with Bionz X processor and can take pictures up to 4896 x 3672 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4896 x 3264, 4896 x 2752, 3664 x 3664, 3648 x 2736, 3648 x 2432, 3648 x 2056, 2736 x 2736, 2592 x 1944, 2592 x 1728, 1920 x 1920, 1920 x 1080, 640 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Image Stabilization

The cameras have a built-in image stabilization.

Built-in GPS on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V has a built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Olympus XZ-1 has a Type D Mini HDMI and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Olympus XZ-1 comes with Li-50B battery pack with battery life of 320 shots and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V comes with NP-BX1 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots.

External Storage Slots

Olympus XZ-1 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/2000 sec on Olympus XZ-1, and up to 1/2000 sec on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V. Olympus XZ-1 can shoot continuously up to 2.0 fps. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 8.60 m ISO 800 on Olympus XZ-1 and 5.40 m at Auto ISO on Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V. Olympus XZ-1 also accepts external flash which can be connected via Wireless connection..

Olympus XZ-1 body has dimensions of 111 x 65 x 42 mm (4.37 x 2.56 x 1.65") and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V body has dimensions of 102 x 58 x 36 mm (4.02 x 2.28 x 1.42"). Olympus XZ-1 weighs 275 g (0.61 lb / 9.70 oz) and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V weighs 245 g (0.54 lb / 8.64 oz).

Olympus XZ-1

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V

111 mm

65 mm

102 mm

58 mm