Olympus TG-870 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus TG-870 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are produced by Olympus. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the TG-870 (16MP) and XZ-2 iHS (12MP) and the TG-870 (1/2.3") and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The TG-870 was unveiled 3 years after the XZ-2 iHS which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before going through a detailed comparison, below is a brief summation of how the TG-870 grades against the XZ-2 iHS for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The full galleries are available at Olympus TG-870 Gallery and Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

When you are intending to travel with your camera often, you should consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus TG-870 offers external measurements of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has measurements of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") having a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus TG-870 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the TG-870 compared to the XZ-2 iHS.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the TG-870 and XZ-2 iHS is 91 and 85 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions only by checking a spec sheet. The pic below should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the TG-870 and XZ-2 iHS.

As you can see, both the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The TG-870 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus TG-870 will give extra detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The fresher TG-870 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.