Olympus E-P5 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Below, we are comparing the Olympus E-P5 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both manufactured by Olympus. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-P5 (16MP) and XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") use different sensor size.

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The E-P5 was revealed 10 months after the XZ-2 iHS which means that they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short summation of how the E-P5 scores against the XZ-2 iHS in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-P5 has physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") having a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has specifications 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 Olympus E-P5 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at that time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the E-P5 and the XZ-2 iHS.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P5 and XZ-2 iHS is 85 and 85 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to picture the difference between sensor sizes purely by checking specs. The picture underneath may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and XZ-2 iHS.

All in all, both of those cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-P5 using its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-P5 will resolve extra detail because of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The more modern E-P5 provides an edge in sensor technology.