Nikon S6100 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Below, we will be analyzing the Nikon S6100 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by manufacturers Nikon and Olympus. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the S6100 (16MP) and XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the S6100 (1/2.3") and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") possess totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The S6100 was manufactured 22 months before the XZ-2 iHS which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the S6100 grades vs the XZ-2 iHS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Coolpix S6100 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The entire galleries are available at Nikon S6100 Gallery and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and proportions. The Nikon S6100 comes with external dimensions of 98mm x 58mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) while the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).

Contrast the Nikon S6100 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the S6100 against the XZ-2 iHS.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the S6100 and XZ-2 iHS is 93 and 85 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing simply by checking specifications. The visual here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the S6100 and XZ-2 iHS.

Plainly, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The S6100 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Nikon S6100 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures much more aggressively. The older S6100 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.