Nikon S8000 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Following is a complete overview of the Nikon S8000 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by competitors Nikon and Olympus. The sensor resolution of the S8000 (14MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) is relatively well matched but the S8000 (1/2.3") and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") provide different sensor size.

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The S8000 was introduced 3 years prior to the XZ-2 iHS which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have the same body design (Compact).

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the S8000 matches up versus the XZ-2 iHS with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix S8000 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The whole galleries are available at Nikon S8000 Gallery and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry around your camera, you will have to consider its weight and volume. The Nikon S8000 comes with outside dimensions of 103mm x 57mm x 27mm (4.1" x 2.2" x 1.1") along with a weight of 183 grams (0.40 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has sizing 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 Nikon S8000 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the S8000 versus the XZ-2 iHS.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the S8000 and XZ-2 iHS is 93 and 85 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading through specs. The image here might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the S8000 and XZ-2 iHS.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The S8000 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Nikon S8000 will give you greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged S8000 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.