Olympus SH-2 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Lets examine more in depth at the Olympus SH-2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the SH-2 (16MP) and XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the SH-2 (1/2.3") and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The SH-2 was unveiled 2 years later than the XZ-2 iHS and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go straight into a in depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the SH-2 scores versus the XZ-2 iHS when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The full galleries are available at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SH-2 offers external measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has specifications of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SH-2 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Following is the front view over all size comparison of the SH-2 against the XZ-2 iHS.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and XZ-2 iHS is 88 and 85 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to visualise the difference in sensor sizing merely by viewing technical specs. The photograph underneath may give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-2 and XZ-2 iHS.

As you can tell, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The SH-2 using its smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Olympus SH-2 will result in greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs far more aggressively. The more modern SH-2 will have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.