Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS
56 Imaging
44 Features
56 Overall
48


85 Imaging
37 Features
67 Overall
49
Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
- Revealed February 2008
- Superseded the Olympus E-1
- Renewed by Olympus E-5
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
- 346g - 113 x 65 x 48mm
- Launched December 2012

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Overview
Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus XZ-2 iHS, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Olympus. The resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) is very comparable but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") possess totally different sensor measurements.

The E-3 was announced 5 years earlier than the XZ-2 iHS and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera.
Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-3 matches up versus the XZ-2 iHS in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 & Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Olympus XZ-2 iHS
E-3 | XZ-2 iHS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Easy selfies |
Reasons to pick Olympus XZ-2 iHS over the Olympus E-3
XZ-2 iHS | E-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | December 2012 | ![]() | February 2008 | Fresher by 58 months |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Display resolution | 920k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper display (+690k dot) |
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS
E-3 | XZ-2 iHS | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus |
Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Physical Comparison
If you are looking to carry your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-3 has exterior measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has proportions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") along with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).
See the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus XZ-2 iHS in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-3 and the XZ-2 iHS.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and XZ-2 iHS is 56 and 85 respectively.

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizing merely by checking out specifications. The photograph here might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and XZ-2 iHS.
To sum up, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-3 having a larger sensor will make getting bokeh easier and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS will produce more detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The older E-3 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS Specifications
Olympus E-3 | Olympus XZ-2 iHS | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Olympus |
Model type | Olympus E-3 | Olympus XZ-2 iHS |
Type | Advanced DSLR | Small Sensor Compact |
Revealed | 2008-02-20 | 2012-12-18 |
Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | TruePic III | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/1.7" |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 7.44 x 5.58mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 41.5mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3 |
Maximum resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 3968 x 2976 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 35 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | - | 28-112mm (4.0x) |
Highest aperture | - | f/1.8-2.5 |
Macro focusing range | - | 1cm |
Number of lenses | 45 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 4.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Screen size | 2.5 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 230 thousand dots | 920 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Electronic (optional) |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | - |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 60 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/2000 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 5.0 frames per second | - |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 13.00 m | 8.60 m (ISO 800) |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/250 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | - | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 890 grams (1.96 lbs) | 346 grams (0.76 lbs) |
Dimensions | 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 113 x 65 x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 56 | 49 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.6 | 20.4 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.5 | 11.3 |
DXO Low light rating | 571 | 216 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 340 photos |
Battery style | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | Li-90B |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Card slots | One | One |
Price at launch | $670 | $450 |