Olympus SZ-12 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus SZ-12 versus Olympus XZ-2 iHS, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both produced by Olympus. The resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) is very similar but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-12 was launched 11 months before the XZ-2 iHS which means that they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before going in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the SZ-12 matches up vs the XZ-2 iHS with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-12 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-12 has got outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has proportions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") having a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-12 versus Olympus XZ-2 iHS in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the SZ-12 compared to the XZ-2 iHS.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-12 and XZ-2 iHS is 89 and 85 respectively.

Quite often, it's tough to envision the gap between sensor sizing simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph here will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-12 and XZ-2 iHS.

As you can see, both cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SZ-12 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus SZ-12 will deliver extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older SZ-12 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.