Canon S95 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Canon S95 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by competitors Canon and Olympus. The resolution of the S95 (10MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) is relatively well matched and both cameras boast the same sensor sizes (1/1.7").

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The S95 was introduced 3 years prior to the XZ-2 iHS and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the S95 grades against the XZ-2 iHS with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot S95 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The whole galleries are available at Canon S95 Gallery and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Canon S95 provides physical dimensions of 100mm x 58mm x 30mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.2") and a weight of 195 grams (0.43 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).

See the Canon S95 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the S95 against the XZ-2 iHS.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S95 and XZ-2 iHS is 93 and 85 respectively.

Normally, its hard to see the gap between sensor measurements simply by checking a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the S95 and XZ-2 iHS.

Clearly, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You should count on the Olympus XZ-2 iHS to resolve more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older S95 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.