Olympus SH-2 vs Panasonic ZS200

Below is a detailed analysis of the Olympus SH-2 versus Panasonic ZS200, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Panasonic. The sensor resolution of the SH-2 (16MP) and the ZS200 (20MP) is pretty comparable but the SH-2 (1/2.3") and ZS200 (1") boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SH-2 was introduced 3 years before the ZS200 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Panasonic ZS200 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the SH-2 scores against the ZS200 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS200. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Panasonic ZS200 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera often, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-2 comes with outer dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Panasonic ZS200 has dimensions of 111mm x 66mm x 45mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.8") accompanied by a weight of 340 grams (0.75 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SH-2 versus Panasonic ZS200 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the SH-2 vs the ZS200.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and ZS200 is 88 and 86 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing specifications. The visual here will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-2 and ZS200.

To sum up, the 2 cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SH-2 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Panasonic ZS200 will produce more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older SH-2 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.