Olympus E-PL9 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL9 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are created by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PL9 was introduced 5 years after the XZ-2 iHS which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-PL9 matches up versus the XZ-2 iHS in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL9 provides external dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while 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).

Check out the Olympus E-PL9 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL9 compared to the XZ-2 iHS.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and XZ-2 iHS is 85 and 85 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizes just by viewing technical specs. The image here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL9 and XZ-2 iHS.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 with its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-PL9 will result in more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The fresher E-PL9 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.