Olympus E-PM2 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

The following is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-PM2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Olympus. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the E-PM2 (16MP) and XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the E-PM2 (Four Thirds) and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The E-PM2 was announced 6 months after the XZ-2 iHS which means that they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PM2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a short view of how the E-PM2 scores vs the XZ-2 iHS for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PM2 & Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PM2 Gallery & Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PM2 enjoys external dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has dimensions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PM2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PM2 vs the XZ-2 iHS.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PM2 and XZ-2 iHS is 89 and 85 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to envision the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing specs. The pic here will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM2 and XZ-2 iHS.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PM2 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PM2 will offer extra detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images far more aggressively.