Nikon S3600 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Here is a extended analysis of the Nikon S3600 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by companies Nikon and Olympus. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the S3600 (20MP) and XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the S3600 (1/2.3") and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The S3600 was manufactured 13 months later than the XZ-2 iHS which makes them a generation apart from one another. Both cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple summary of how the S3600 scores against the XZ-2 iHS in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix S3600 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The entire galleries are available at Nikon S3600 Gallery and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Nikon S3600 enjoys outer dimensions of 97mm x 58mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.8") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).

Check the Nikon S3600 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the S3600 vs the XZ-2 iHS.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the S3600 and XZ-2 iHS is 96 and 85 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizing merely by reading a spec sheet. The photograph below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the S3600 and XZ-2 iHS.

As you can see, both of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The S3600 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Nikon S3600 will offer you extra detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more recent S3600 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.