Olympus VG-145 vs Olympus XZ-2 iHS

Following is a detailed assessment of the Olympus VG-145 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. The image resolution of the VG-145 (14MP) and the XZ-2 iHS (12MP) is fairly close but the VG-145 (1/2.3") and XZ-2 iHS (1/1.7") use different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The VG-145 was announced 17 months earlier than the XZ-2 iHS making the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-145 being a Ultracompact camera and the Olympus XZ-2 iHS being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the VG-145 grades vs the XZ-2 iHS with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-145 & Olympus XZ-2 iHS. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-145 Gallery & Olympus XZ-2 iHS Gallery.

If you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you should factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus VG-145 enjoys outside dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Olympus XZ-2 iHS has proportions of 113mm x 65mm x 48mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.9") with a weight of 346 grams (0.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus VG-145 and Olympus XZ-2 iHS in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the VG-145 vs the XZ-2 iHS.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VG-145 and XZ-2 iHS is 96 and 85 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizes only by researching a spec sheet. The image underneath should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the VG-145 and XZ-2 iHS.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The VG-145 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh trickier and the Olympus VG-145 will provide you with extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics much more aggressively. The more aged VG-145 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.